Hero Worship Part 2
by Hatake Satsuki
Summary: The past is what he dreamed of. When his past slips unexpectedly back into his life, then is snatched away again too soon, how is he supposed to concentrate on his duties and his life? Which is more important, love or the village? ItachixOC KakashixSasuke
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This story is a sequel to Hero Worship. If you haven't read it yet, that's ok, this story can stand alone. If however you haven't read it yet and would like to read it, if can be found here: /s/4504498/1/HeroWorshipPart1  
Just to be clear, I lay claim only to my OC, Kyousuke and the story itself. All the other characters and the settings belong to Masashi Kishimoto. (Oh, and another OC that makes a brief appearance much later in the story belongs to me as well.)  
So, without further rambling, I give you **Hero Worship: Then & Now**!

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Kyousuke stood aside, letting the flow of people pass him unhindered. The day had ceased to be anything more than the passage of time, people hurrying by in their own capsules of time. Kyousuke's eyes were riveted on one couple that moved along with the crowd, though neither seemed aware of the crowd. When you were so deeply in love, no one existed but the one you love. Feeling his heart clench slightly, Kyousuke forces his gaze away from the couple. Sasuke looked so much like his older brother, it made it hard for Kyousuke to breathe sometimes when he looked at him. Since he'd moved in with his older lover, Kakashi, Sasuke had only become that much more attractive. Love lit his features, giving him a glow that intensified what seemed to be a natural beauty inherent in the Uchiha clan.

Watching the two men move through the crowd, and yet, move through their own little world, Kyousuke felt not a bit of jealousy. This surprised him. The attraction he'd felt to Sasuke had been instantaneous, and had never completely gone away even as their friendship grew, but his heart wouldn't be satisfied with an imitation of it's desire. He could be jealous that the two had found the love he'd been denied, but he was never a petty man. He didn't begrudge anyone love. He wouldn't wish the crushing weight of loneliness and unfulfilled love on any man. He was happy to see the two men so happy together. It made his heart lighter to know that he had helped that bond of love to grow.

When Kakashi and Sasuke disappeared from the crowd, Kyousuke takes a deep breath and lets it out in a deep sigh. They were likely home by now, though the way they saw only each other, it didn't matter where they were. Kyousuke smiles at this thought and can't help but chuckle softly in amusement. The two men acted more like young boys than grown men. Love could certainly make a man do some of the strangest things. Shaking his head as the smile fades from his face, Kyousuke turns his attention back to the milling crowd as they continue to shuffle past him, each with his or her own thoughts to fill the day much as Kyousuke had his.

Moving back into the steady flow of the crowd, Kyousuke let it move him along aimlessly. He had nothing important to do, and after seeing Sasuke with Kakashi, his mind wanted to turn inward, so he let it. After so many years, he would have expected to feel nothing for the older Uchiha, but his heart had other ideas. He'd been able to gradually put Itachi from his mind over the years, and with the absence of thought, his heart began to numb to a love that would never know fulfillment. All of that had changed the night Kakashi Hatake had approached him, seeking help with one of his students. Kyousuke didn't know who the boy was, only what he looked like and where he lived. Kakashi had told him the boy's name was Sasuke, but at the time the description and the name didn't click together for him.

It came as a hell of a shock when Kyousuke did find the boy. At first he thought he'd stepped back in time and was looking at Itachi. When he could breathe again, he'd forced himself to move forward, and making contact with the boy had made functioning easier. Over time, he managed to desensitize himself to the fact that Sasuke looked so painfully similar to his older brother. Their mannerism differed widely, Itachi always having been self-confident, and this was the saving grace that kept Kyousuke from a badly broken heart. As his friendship with Sasuke had grown, he'd felt himself growing closer and closer to the boy until he'd realized he was growing to love Itachi by proxy. This was fair to neither Sasuke, nor Kyousuke, so he'd squelched that emotion quickly. Turning his attention to helping Sasuke with his desire to win Kakashi's heart had helped distract him from thoughts of Itachi, from love and from making mistakes. By the time it was over, a month later, Kyousuke knew he and his heart were safe. Sasuke would never be anything more than his friend, but he still ached for Itachi every time he laid eyes on Sasuke.

Kyousuke was drawn deeper into memory in spite of himself. Drifting with the crowd, Kyousuke doesn't fight the onslaught of memory, but rather embraces it. He hadn't allowed himself to remember Itachi in years, and now it felt more like a pleasure than a promise of pain. It was now the next best thing to having Itachi in his life once more, not a doorway that led to a badly wounded heart. Kyousuke was twelve years old again and looking up at Itachi, pain and confusion scrawled across his face...

_"But, why Itachi? I don't understand? Why can't you stay here? This is your home. You're one of the villages best ninjas!" Kyousuke pauses, then lowers his gaze as he whispers the last thought, "You're my best friend, I love you."_

_"I can't explain Kyousuke. It's best if you don't know. I don't want to leave. I don't want any of this that's about to happen, but I'm powerless to stop it! I'm sorry, Kyousuke, more than you'll ever know."_

_"If you don't want to leave, then don't leave! Stay here! Stay with me! You can come live with me, I'm sure Uncle Denar won't mind. And if he does, I'll just hide you in my room! He'll never know! No one will! I won't tell your parents, or anyone else in your clan if you don't want them to know either!"_

_Itachi turns his head aside at that, but not before Kyousuke sees the agony written there. This only works to further confuse and scare him. Something terrible was happening to Itachi, Kyousuke could understand that, but he didn't know what that terrible thing was. He felt his anger grow, knowing that something threatened the happiness of the boy he'd idolized for most of his life. At that moment, he wanted to lash out at any one or any thing if it meant that he could make things right for Itachi again, and guarantee that he'd stay in the village. And if it guaranteed that he'd never have to see such pain on the older boy's face again._

_"I'm sorry, Kyousuke. There's nothing else that can be done. I have to leave the village. Tonight. After tonight, I'll never be welcome here again." Itachi turns back to look at Kyousuke once again, his black eyes shining with unshed tears. "One day, I hope you'll learn the truth, and it will help you understand. Goodbye, Kyousuke."_

_As Itachi turned and slipped off into the trees, heading back for the gate into the village, Kyousuke shakes his head hard in denial. He runs a few steps after the older boy, crying out in his own agony to him, "Itachi! No, don't go! Please stay with me! I love you so much! I love you more than I have ever loved anyone else, and more than I will ever love anyone else!" It's all to no avail. Itachi only hunches his shoulders, head hanging as he hurries back into the village, leaving Kyousuke to drop to his knees, sobs ripping from his throat as he felt his heart breaking in two..._

Movement seen from the corner of his eyes draws Kyousuke's attention. What it was about this movement at the edge of a crowd of movement that could draw him from his thoughts, he couldn't say. Moving quickly to the edge of the crowd, and out of the flow of moving bodies, Kyousuke stands and scans the area he'd caught the movement from. Seeing nothing, he frowns, wondering what it was that had drawn his attention. Stepping back and leaning against the side of a building, Kyousuke closes his eyes and tries to draw back from memory the movement that had caught his attention. Concentrating on it to the exclusion of all else, he gradually begins to pull up a picture of just what had caught his mind. It was just a faint glimmer at first, but then begins to take form. It was a taller man, not much taller than Kyousuke, but tall. Dark hair, dark cloak. Those were the strongest impressions. Just as he's about to give up on pulling any more clarity from his memory, the man he was looking at in memory turns and glances his way, familiar black eyes standing out more sharply than any other detail. Jerking from his contemplation of the vague flash of memory, Kyousuke gasps and quickly scans the crowd again, his heart racing. It wasn't Sasuke. Sasuke was about Kyousuke's height. This man had been taller. It was Itachi. There was no one else it could be. Itachi had come home.


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning Kyousuke was standing in his favorite spot atop the wall that surrounded the village, watching the sun rise. He'd found when he was much younger that the beauty of a sunrise was usually enough to settle troubled thoughts and clear his head enough that he could work through any problem. But now, for the first time, it wasn't helping. The beauty didn't call to him as it always had in the past, and his mind continued to roil with troubled thoughts. He'd spent a sleepless night, going over again and again what he'd thought he'd seen. Finally just before dawn, he climbed wearily from his bed and dressed quickly before slipping out into the sleeping village to find solitude, and perhaps an answer or two in the sunrise. Now, as he stood there watching the warm golden lights of dawn paint the sky, he found himself fighting with the certainty that he'd not seen Itachi, it had only been a figment of his imagination brought on by his train of thoughts. This wasn't a comforting thought.

Time passes slowly, unnoticed by Kyousuke as he mulls over the problem before him. It came down to two simple facts, he'd either seen Itachi or he hadn't, and he wasn't getting any closer to an answer. Sighing, Kyousuke lays back, stretching himself out in the patch of sun that had grown to surround him as he'd sat trying to find the answer to his question. Lacing his fingers, he stretches his arms up, sliding his hands under the back of his head as a deep sigh escapes him. Eyes closed, Kyousuke frowns and goes over that memory one last time. He was sure he'd not imagined it. He _had_ seen Itachi. There was only one way to prove that, however, and the task was a daunting one. He was going to have to search the village, and it was going to take weeks.

His mind made up, Kyousuke pushed himself upright, then climbed down the wall. Setting off, Kyousuke began his search. A few weeks later, tired and more than a little discouraged, Kyousuke is forced to give up his search. He'd seen no more sign of Itachi, or even a sign that he'd been there to begin with. It was obvious that he wasn't anywhere in or near the village now, if he had ever been to begin with. Through it all, Kyousuke let himself enjoy his memories of his time with Itachi, finding that the pain came less and less with each memory and the passage of time. At night, when he slept, he dreamed of Itachi. It wasn't all memory, but sometimes dreams of the reunion he longed for.

Kyousuke's life gradually returned to normal however, but he never stopped thinking about Itachi. Late one night when he was sitting, writing up a report from his most recent mission, he heard a soft knocking at his door. Surprised, but unconcerned, he pushed away from his desk and moved over to the door. When he pulled the door open, he wasn't sure at first who he was looking at. Stepping back slightly so that his visitor could move into the doorway, and into the light spilling out from his room, Kyousuke takes a closer look at his visitor. Breath catching in his throat, his mind suddenly going blank, Kyousuke stares up at the man standing in his doorway. Feeling his hands beginning to shake, and his mouth working open and closed, open and closed, with no words coming out, Kyousuke has his first thought, to realize what a fool he must look like, but is still unable to speak, coherent thought still mostly denied him.

"Are you going to invite me in, or should I just stand here until I'm spotted and the Anbu come to get me?"

Without waiting for a reply, Itachi steps around Kyousuke and into his room. When Kyousuke doesn't close the door or turn, Itachi frowns and steps up behind him. "Was it a mistake to come? Should I have stayed away?"

Kyousuke spins at this, slamming the door closed behind him without even noticing. He stares into familiar black eyes that could just be seen under the hood that cloaked Itachi. Still unable to speak, but no longer completely dumb and paralyzed, Kyousuke reaches out a hand and pushes the hood back off Itachi's head, choking on a sudden sob when he gets his first full look at Itachi in ten years. His hand dropping back to his side, his mind finally begins working again, his voice returning with it.

"Itachi... It's really you?"

"Of course it's me! Who else would it be? Sasuke and I are the only ones left of our clan, and his hair is shorter than mine. Besides, I'm much more handsome."

The attempt at humor to lighten the tension in the room falls flat when Kyousuke silently agrees with Itachi. Stepping back, Kyousuke drops onto the chair at his desk when he feels as if his legs were going to melt out from under him. He was so stunned to find Itachi at his front door, he felt he'd wake up from this dream at any moment, and his heart screamed for the dream to never end. Shaking his head slowly, willing himself to never wake from the dream, Kyousuke tilts his head back to look up at Itachi, letting his gaze travel over every inch of his face, not wanting to miss a single detail. Finally, Kyousuke pushes himself to his feet and almost dives across the room, throwing himself into Itachi's arms, his entire body shaking with the strength of his feelings.

"I though I'd never see you again. I'd given up hope years ago. But then... then I thought I saw you again, a month ago. I wasn't sure. I thought maybe I was going crazy, but I thought if crazy meant I could see you, I _wanted_ crazy. Sanity is unbearable without you."

"You're not crazy, and you did see me. I didn't see you until it was too late apparently. Once I'd spotted you in the crowd, I tried to move back out of your line of sight. I wasn't sure if I'd moved fast enough or not. Then you started looking for me, and I knew you'd seen me. I knew then that I had to come to you. You've got to stop looking for me, Kyousuke."

"Stop... stop looking? How can you say that to me!? Damnit Itachi, my life has been so empty since you left! I don't care what you did! I don't care what the village thinks! I'd rather be on the run with you, than stuck here alone!" Kyousuke pauses when something occurs to him that hadn't before. Stepping back, he looks into Itachi's eyes. "If you want me to stop looking for you, that must mean you weren't here for me. So, why _are_ you here Itachi?"

"I wasn't here for you then, I'm here for you _now_. I had to tell you to stop looking for me. You're going to draw attention, and that attention might lead them to me. I was here before for Sasuke. I've been coming once or twice a year for the past five years, keeping an eye on him, seeing how he grew up. He's my little brother, and I love him. I want to see him grown, successful and happy." Itachi pauses and looks away for a moment, a small frown pulling at the corners of his mouth. "I guess he is now."

Kyousuke steps back away from Itachi as he listens to the explanation. Shock leaving him cold, he backs up another step, then another. Shaking his head slowly in negation, Kyousuke keeps backing up until his legs bump the edge of his bed and he sits abruptly. He feels his heart clench, then drops his gaze away from Itachi, staring at the floor in front of him, trying to understand what was being said to him. Understanding came fast and painfully clear, leaving Kyousuke shaking with barely contained tears, his heart feeling as if it had been ripped from his chest.

"For... Sasuke? That's it? You just wanted to check on your brother? You didn't want to see..." Kyousuke lets his voice trail off, unable to finish as the first of the tears finally slip free.

Itachi doesn't seem to hear Kyousuke's words or his pain. He goes on as if Kyousuke hadn't spoke. "I can't come back here Kyousuke. I can't make everything right. But, that doesn't mean I don't still care about my little brother. I would have taken him with me if I could have. I always hated what happened to him more than anything else. I hated that he had to grow up alone. So, I waited until I was sure it had been long enough, then I started coming back to check up on him."

Kyousuke lifts a hand and wipes at his cheeks violently. Jaws clenching, he takes a tight hold of his emotions, and once he's sure he's got them under control once again, he finally lifts his head and looks at Itachi again, but Itachi wasn't looking at him, he was staring at the picture of Kyousuke and Sasuke that had been taken of the two shortly after Sasuke had attained the rank of Chunin. He'd forgotten about the picture sitting on the table beside his bed. Standing up, he moved back over to Itachi, drawing the older man's attention at last.

"It almost killed me when you walked away from me that last day. Then when I heard what you'd done the next day... I didn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. Eventually I accepted it, but I never let it effect me. I never let it change anything. You were still my best friend. You were still the one I loved. And over the years, that hasn't changed either. Sasuke and I are very close now, though not as close as you and I were. To be honest, I always thought that you'd come back one day and make it all right again. Sasuke would forgive you, learn to accept what you did. You and I would be together, forever. I was a damn fool. I _am_ a fool."

Itachi shakes his head, pain and a small amount of pity in his eyes. He reaches out a hand and cups Kyousuke's cheek as he looks at his old friend. "You're not a fool, Kyousuke. You were young, and everything happened so fast it had to be hard to accept. But now, now you can see the truth. You can see that I can't come back. Sasuke would never forgive me for what happened, and I could never ask him to. But, I have to ask you to forgive me. I can't tell you how hard it was for me to walk away from you that day, and how hard it will be for me to leave you again tonight, but it's what has to be."

Kyousuke stares up at Itachi, realizing for the first time that Itachi was still a couple of inches taller than him. He smiles absently at this thought. Closing his eyes, he concentrates on the feeling of Itachi's hand on his cheek, enjoying the warmth, the joy of it as long as it lasts. When Itachi's hand drops away, leaving behind coldness and an empty pit opening in his stomach, Kyousuke opens his eyes once more. He lets his gaze travel over Itachi's face again, drinking in every last detail. It was all he was going to have to warm his heart for the rest of his life. Stepping back, he only nods his head, unable to speak for fear that he'd break down in tears again.

Itachi watches the emotions that play over Kyousuke's face, and feels his own heart breaking. He'd come with the best of intentions, but in the end was only hurting his friend all over again. He wanted more than ever to take Kyousuke into his arms and hold him until all of the pain left him, never to return. He knew he couldn't, so instead he stepped back, moving to the door. He stops at the door and watches Kyousuke, but when the younger male shows no signs of looking at him again, Itachi only nods and turns, pulling the door open. He pauses and looks back over his shoulder one last time.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Kyousuke. I'm sorry my coming here tonight hurt you again. I swear it's the last thing I ever wanted to happen. I thought I was doing to right thing by coming here. I'm sorry I was wrong. Goodbye Kyousuke, I hope you can forgive me one day."

Itachi slips out the door, pulling it closed behind him, then pausing to pull up his hood, hiding himself once more before slipping off into the night. Inside, Kyousuke stands stiff except for the faint trembling of his body. When the door clicks shut, Kyousuke lets the first of his tears slide down his cheeks. Moving back, he sits on the edge of his bed once more. Earlier he'd wanted to stay in this dream forever, but now the dream had become a nightmare, and he feared he'd never be able to wake up again.


	3. Chapter 3

Time passed as if Kyousuke was in a bubble. Nothing of the outside world could touch him. His senses were rendered useless and he didn't even notice. He went on missions, but was unaware of any of them. Moving through the world on automatic, the only ones to notice were his friends, but none came forward to help because they didn't know what was going on. Except Sasuke. Sasuke knew the look on Kyousuke's face. He understood the pain in his friend's eyes, even if he hadn't known his friend had fallen in love. And so it was that Sasuke came to Kyousuke's room one evening after Kakashi had left on a mission. Kyousuke opened the door to his friend, then stepped away from the door to allow him to come in, moving back to sit on his bed once more. He couldn't bring himself to look at Sasuke, he looked too much like Itachi, and it just made him hurt worse.

"Kyousuke, you've got to pull out of this funk. You're going to get yourself hurt on a mission if you keep walking around like this. Whoever it is, you need to go talk to him. Tell him how you feel. You helped me with Kakashi, so I know you know what needs to be done."

"He knows how I feel. He's always known. I told him a very long time ago. We were still kids. I told him then. I told him again..." Kyousuke trails off, trying to remember when Itachi had come to him. Time had passed unnoticed by Kyousuke however. "I told him again when he came to see me. It didn't matter. He left. He doesn't want me."

"Did he tell you he doesn't want you?"

"No, but he left. He didn't even come to the village to see me. I wasn't supposed to know he was around. I just got lucky. Or, unlucky."

Sasuke frowns, trying to figure out who his friend could be talking about, but having no idea. Moving on to what he does know, he leaves the identity for another time, it was unimportant. "Do you remember what you told me when I was heartbroken over Kakashi? You can't assume he knows how you feel. You don't know until you tell him. And you can't really know how he feels unless you ask him. You say he knows how you feel, so now you need to ask him how _he_ feels. Maybe he loves you too, but he's just scared to tell you. Love can be a frightening thing."

Kyousuke shakes his head and wipes at the tears on his face. "I can't ask him. He's gone, Sasuke. He only came to tell me why I'd seen him, then went back to where ever it is he's living now. I have no idea where he is, no way to get in touch with him. I'd go to him now if I could."

"Who is he? Maybe if we ask around we could find out where he is. Is he from another village? Did you meet him on a mission or something?"

Kyousuke isn't sure what to tell Sasuke. He doesn't want to lie to his friend, but he can't tell him the truth either. Lowering his head, he hides his face in his hands, trying to figure out how he was going to get himself out of this without lying to his friend or telling him the whole truth, and probably losing his friendship. It had never occurred to him that it would come to this, so he was completely unprepared, and it made him feel miserable. Finally, he lifts his head again and looks at his friend, watching him from across the room. Wiping at the tears again, he decides to give Sasuke at least part of the truth.

"No, I didn't meet him in a mission. I've known him since I was a kid. We met right after I made Chunin. He was from Konoha, but he's not anymore. He's moved elsewhere. But, since he has family here still, he comes back to the village from time to time."

"Well, why don't you ask his family? They should know where he is, or at least a way you could get in touch with him."

Kyousuke shakes his head, and lowers his gaze to the floor. "He doesn't talk to anyone. He just comes to make sure his family is well, then he leaves again."

Sasuke frowns, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's not very nice, how can he do that to his family? Doesn't he care that they might be worried about him? Or that they might miss him?"

Kyousuke can't help the bitter laugh this idea causes. He shakes his head again, never lifting his eyes from the floor. "No, his family is content without him. They didn't exactly part on good terms."

"But still, by now they might -"

Kyousuke cuts Sasuke off before he can finish his thought. "They don't. I know his family very well."

Sasuke falls silent. He finally notices the tense lines of his friend's shoulders and decides to stop pushing him. He'd leave the older man alone for the time being so he could work through his problem some more on his own. Sasuke had done all he could, now all that was left was giving his friend some time and space to think. He'd be there when Kyousuke needed him, and if he decided he wanted to talk again. Moving over to the door, Sasuke stands there looking at his friend, wishing there was something more he could do for him.

"Ok, Kyousuke. I'll leave you be for now. If you need me, you know where I am. Kakashi has gone out on a long mission to the Water Country, so he won't be back for a month or so. You don't have to worry about disturbing us or anything."

Kyousuke only nods, no longer trusting his voice to remain steady. He wanted nothing more than to give in to the emotion that roiled inside of him. He wanted to confess everything to Sasuke, feeling as if he were somehow betraying his friend with his secrets. Just before he feels he's about to give in, he hears the door open, and quietly close behind Sasuke as he left. Sighing, Kyousuke lays over onto his side. Drawing his legs up to his chest, comforting himself with memories of Itachi.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Hey, you're Kyousuke Rehara, aren't you?"_

_Kyousuke turns at the sound of the voice, looking up at the taller boy standing behind him. His first thought is that the boy is quite handsome. With a blush he pushes this thought aside, trying to figure out who he was. Kyousuke recognized his face, but he wasn't quite sure who he was. He lets his gaze travel over the older boy's face, settling on his black eyes for a moment before taking in the rest of his appearance. The long black hair tied back drew Kyousuke's attention for several moments, a twinge of something akin to jealousy flaring in him. He'd always wanted to let his hair grow long, but he'd never had the nerve to. He didn't think his auburn hair would look good long. Tearing his gaze away from the older boy's hair, Kyousuke remembers that the boy had asked him a question. Cheeks heating __considerably__, he turns his gaze aside and shifts nervously as he finally utters a reply._

_"Sorry... yes, I'm Kyousuke."_

_Itachi shifts himself until he catches the younger boy's gaze again then smiles down at him, instantly setting him at ease, the blush fading away to nothing once again. Kyousuke's fair complexion was a curse, and the red of his hair only made the red in his cheeks stand out more when he did blush, which he did entirely too often in his opinion. Kyousuke returns the older boy's smile, playing his fingers over the headband he was currently wearing around his throat in a fashion he thought was cool. It hadn't been long since he'd earned the rank of Chunin, and when he did, he decided that it was time to make some changes to himself. He was growing up, and growing as a ninja. The position of his headband was just one of many small changes he'd made._

_Just as Itachi is about to speak again, Kyousuke's mind finally clicks, and he remembers where he knew this older ninja from. For an instant he's __embarrassed__ for not recognizing him, then he feels as if he was going to faint. This boy had been his idle since he'd joined the ninja academy. He'd never seen Itachi Uchiha up close, always from a distance as the village celebrated yet another of his many accomplishments, but he'd heard so many stories about the older boy, he always felt he'd known him his whole life. It was Itachi that drove Kyousuke to be the ninja he was. He wanted to be successful, hoping to one day be almost as good as Itachi, because he didn't think anyone could ever be _as good as_ Itachi. If he could, then he'd have a better chance of actually getting to be his __idol's__ friend._

_"You're Itachi Uchiha! I can't believe it! I've loved you since I joined the ninja academy! I want to be as good as you one day! Well, I don't think I'll ever be as good as you, but I want to get as close as I can."_

_Itachi chuckles, mildly surprised by the outburst, but more amused. He inclines his head in a nod, acknowledging he was who Kyousuke said he was. "Yes, I'm Itachi. It's great to meet you, Kyousuke. I've been trying to find some free time to meet you. And a time when you weren't busy as well. Not easy since you made Chunin I've noticed. I saw your fight in the final round of the Exams. I have to say I was very impressed with the way you beat that Grass ninja. I don't think I've ever seen anyone handle a katana so masterfully, and at such a young age! It's no surprise you were one of the only ones to reach Chunin this time."_

_Kyousuke__ blushes again, cursing silently as he feels the heat crawl up his cheeks. He turns his gaze to the ground in front of him, shifting nervously at Itachi's praise. He'd never dreamed that he'd find himself standing in front of his idol one day, much less being _praised_ by the older boy. Moving to clasp his hands behind his back, Kyousuke forces himself to lift his head, returning Itachi's gaze __levelly.__ He felt like he was being a fool and ruining his chance to be Itachi's friend, and he wasn't about to let that happen._

_Smiling again, Kyousuke nods to the older boy. "Thank you, Itachi. My uncle has been training me to use the family katana since I was strong enough to hold a __practice__ blade."_

_Itachi nods at this, a knowing look in his eyes. "That doesn't surprise me. The Rehara Clan have always been known for their abilities with a blade. So Kyousuke, I was wondering if you'd like to..."_

Kyousuke is pulled from his memory, and groans, the sound nearly a sob of pain. He didn't want to face reality. He wanted to live in the memories of his time with Itachi. That first day was one of his favorite memories. He'd spent hours talking to Itachi, getting to know the older boy, their new friendship growing rapidly. They'd spent every free moment they could manage together after that. It hadn't taken Kyousuke long to fall in love with Itachi over that time either, though he'd never said a word. Not until the night his world was shattered along with his heart.

A soft knocking at the door draws Kyousuke's attention. Knowing that's what drew him from his memories, he debates just ignoring the knock. He figured it was Sasuke, as he was the only one that came by these days. He wasn't really in the mood to talk with his friend tonight, but he couldn't just ignore him. None of this was Sasuke's fault, and his friend didn't deserve to be treated so badly. Pushing himself up from his bed with a soul weary sigh, Kyousuke moves across the room to the door, absently pushing his long red hair back from his face.

Tugging the door open, Kyousuke begins to speak before the door is even completely open. "Sasuke, I don't think I'm up for..."

Kyousuke's voice trails into silence when his gaze settles on the one standing at his door. It wasn't Sasuke. In fact, it was the last person he'd ever expect to find standing at his door. As if it were a repeat of a few weeks before, Kyousuke only stands, staring in disbelief and surprise at the older man standing at his door. He takes a step back unconsciously, allowing Itachi to move into the room. The door slips from numb fingers as Itachi slowly pushes it closed behind him, taking his time about it. Slowly, he turns and looks at Kyousuke, his face a blank mask, but his eyes showing a wild tumble of emotion. Pain, uncertainty, fear, confusion and a faint trace of hope.

Kyousuke felt that dream-like lethargy wash over him again as it had the first time Itachi had come to him. This time however, he doesn't let himself dwell on the wish that this were a dream. He can't bring himself to hope that anything good would come from this visit, just more pain. Turning, Kyousuke moves across the room, standing at the far side of the room, leaning against the wall between the foot of his bed and the door that led into the bathroom. Crossing his arms over his chest, he hunches his shoulders and tries to prepare himself for what was about to come.

As if he'd felt Kyousuke's reluctance, Itachi takes a few steps back and leans against the door in much the same manner Kyousuke was leaning against the wall. Itachi let his shoulders slump as well, but rather than crossing his arms over his chest, he clasps his hands behind his back. After a few moments he moved his arms, letting his hands hang at his sides, then again moves to clasp his hands behind his back. Nervous energy radiated from the older man, and even across the room Kyousuke could feel it, but still that lethargy kept it's hold on him. After a few moments, Kyousuke stirs, slowly lifting his head look at Itachi.

"Itachi? What are you doing here?" Kyousuke hears his own voice as if it were coming from a long distance off.

"Correcting a mistake I made so many years ago, and then repeated a few weeks ago."


	5. Chapter 5

"Mistake? What mistake? You can't take back the fact that I saw you. Unless you plan on doing something with that sharingan of yours that would erase my memory. I never really did understand what you Uchiha's could do with that kekkei genkai of yours, it's all too confusing to me."

Itachi shifts, pushing himself way from the door, but not moving any closer to Kyousuke just yet. Shifting his weight from one foot to the other again and again, Itachi shakes his head and locks his gaze on Kyousuke's. "No, nothing like that. The mistake I made was leaving you. I never should have left you. Not that first time ten years ago, and not when I came to see you a few weeks ago. I should have fought. I should have stayed with you that first time, or at least come back sooner and never left your side again."

Kyousuke peers across the room at Itachi, confusion written over his face, but still the lethargy persists. Unwilling to allow hope to rise in his heart again, Kyousuke shakes his head and drops his gaze back to the floor. He stands staring silently at the floor, unwilling to speak, and unsure what he would say even if he had spoken. So much had been said already that had led to pain, he wasn't willing to open the door to that pain again. Kyousuke hears Itachi move, but doesn't lift his gaze from the floor. He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he figured that if he stood quiet long enough, Itachi would either come to a point or just leave. It was at that moment that Kyousuke realized that he had to let go if he was to ever heal.

"Kyousuke... please... won't you at least look at me?"

Kyousuke closes his eyes, feeling his heart clenching in his chest. The pain in Itachi's voice was something close to the pain he'd heard in his voice that horrible night ten years before. To know that he was somehow the cause of that pain broke Kyousuke's heart, but his own pain made him resist. He'd hurt so much for so many years, only he'd chose to ignore the pain, just live with it. Then Itachi came back and the pain was so much worse to be left a second time. Kyousuke wasn't sure his heart could handle being left a third time. He felt like a coward however, and after a long internal debate, Kyousuke finally lifted his head, letting his eyes open slowly. When his gaze fixed on Itachi, now standing in the middle of his room, Kyousuke knew this was going to be the moment that either completed his life, or ended it.

"Kyousuke, I'm so sorry. I know I've hurt you, and not just once. I was so young that first time, and I didn't see any way out of the trouble I was in. Part of me wanted to confide in you, tell you everything because you were my best friend. I couldn't though. I knew that if you knew what was going on, you were going to wind up being killed. I couldn't live with that." Itachi stops and laughs bitterly, lowering his gaze to the floor as he shakes his head. "What does that say about me? I could live with the idea of my clan being slaughtered, but not my friend. I was young and stupid. And now, now I've grown up and I'm still a damn fool.

"I told you that night that I hoped you'd learn the truth one day and that is would help you understand. I was fooling myself even then. I was sure that the truth would come to light eventually, and that you'd hear of what really happened. I think I knew even then that the truth would never see the light of day unless I was the one that brought it out for the world to see. But, after all these years there's really no point in bringing that truth out for all to see. It would change nothing and hurt so many people that are innocent and don't deserve that hurt, so I'll keep that secret and protect those innocent souls the way I couldn't protect the innocent souls in my clan. Except Sasuke. He was the only one I could keep safe."

Lifting his head once more, Itachi looks into Kyousuke's eyes. Wrapping his arms tightly around himself, Kyousuke prepares himself to hear something ugly. He could see it in Itachi's eyes, in the returned determination that burned there. For a moment he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. He started to tell Itachi to keep his secret, he didn't want it, but he remained silent. If Itachi could share that ugly secret that he'd kept locked inside himself for so long, Kyousuke could do no less than hear that secret. Much had changed in the intervening years, but there was one thing that was as true now as it was then; Kyousuke was Itachi's friend, and Itachi was Kyousuke's friend. Taking a deep breath, he nods his head.

Seeing the nod, Itachi takes his own deep breath, closing his eyes briefly to steady his nerves, then delves into the past, remembering all that had happened. He begins telling his story slowly at first, but he gained momentum as he went on, pouring out the poison that had been his secret for so long. "As you know, the Uchiha clan was one of the strongest clans in Konoha, if not _the_ strongest. As tends to be the case all too often, strength can lead to corruption. I think I was aware of the corruption from a very young age. I excelled as a ninja to try to erase the bad that deep down I knew was going on within my clan. When I joined the Anbu ranks I became more privy to the comings and goings and secrets of the various clans, and I used that to keep tabs on my own clan.

"Once I started looking, I couldn't stop. I began to learn things I'd have much rather not learned. The corruption ran much deeper than I feared. Deeper than I could have imagined. It wasn't clear when exactly that corruption had started, but I got the feeling it had been there from the start of the clan. That was a horrible realization all its own. But, it was only in the last generation or so that it had really started going bad. The corruption ran deeper than ever, and it was starting to show. By the next generation, everyone was going to know about the corruption, and it was going to be bad for the whole clan. The corruption wasn't in the whole clan however, just a few of the larger factions. My family was one of them. My father wasn't actively corrupt, but he helped to cover for those that were. His brother, my uncle was one of the most corrupt of the entire clan, and father knew. I think maybe that's why he helped cover up that corruption. Father was always very close to Uncle."

Itachi pauses and lowers his gaze to the floor again, pain etched onto his face. Taking a deep and shaking breath, he lifts his gaze back to Kyousuke's once more and resumes his story. "I found out about a month before I left just how deep that corruption ran, and just how many people knew of the corruption. To my horror, I was called to the office of the Hokage. He told me he'd known of the corruption for a long time, but had tried to overlook it. Stories of a coming betrayal and the prospect of Konoha being destroyed or at the very least drug into another horrible war finally pushed him to have to make a decision. There was nothing that could be done other than the removal of the corruption, but the way it ran through the heart of the clan, it wasn't possible to only remove the corrupt. It would fester among those that were left and rise again.

"I was told that my clan was to be destroyed, but they chose to tell me because they knew I was one of the innocents. I was given the choice of either staying silent and turning my head as the clan was killed, and dying myself with the rest of the clan, or I could help. If I helped, I was going to be the one that was blamed. It would be made to seem that I'd gone crazy or power hungry and slaughtered my clan, then ran. And I was going to be allowed to live as long as I stayed away from the village, and never spoke of what happened that night to anyone. I was young, and I wanted to live, so I chose to be the scape goat. When that night came however, I couldn't do it. I couldn't raise a weapon against my own clan. Not even those that I knew were the most corrupt. They were still my people, my family.

"In the end, I did all I could. I saved Sasuke. He came home late. Everyone else was already dead. I told the man that had been sent to help me destroy the clan that there was no one left. I let my grief have my heart then, and he believed me in the face of that grief. It was understood that once it was done, I was to leave that night, so he turned and left me there with the blood of my family still on me. I was going to leave, there was no way I could stay, and he knew it, so he left me. As far as I know, he never looked back. He didn't wait for me to leave, because he knew I couldn't stay.

"When Sasuke finally arrived home and found me standing over the bodies of our parents, I let him think I was the one that had done it. I took the role that was given me, no matter how it hurt me to see my little brother so hurt and scared. The betrayal in his eyes was almost more than I could bear. I lashed out at him in anger, but it was anger at myself, not him. In the end it just helped to strengthen the idea that it was me and me alone that had slaughtered our entire clan. I stayed there, feeding Sasuke's fears until I knew the Anbu would be arriving, then I left. I knew that once they found him, it was over. There was no way they could kill him and not have it look suspicious. I'd saved my little brother. But now I wonder, at what cost?"

Itachi sinks slowly to the floor, empty now, the poison drained away. Dropping to his knees, he lowers his head, hiding his face in his hands. After only a few moments, his shoulders begin to shake with silent tears. Stunned, Kyousuke can only stand, staring across the room at the older man, pain clenching at his heart. Pain for what he'd lost because of what happened all those years ago. Pain for what his friend had had to endure because of it. Pain for the agony his friend was clearly in now. Pain for Sasuke, the one innocent in all of this that was still just that, innocent. Pushing away from the wall, Kyousuke moves numbly across the room and sinks to the floor in front of Itachi. Leaning forward, he takes his friend into his arms even as the first of his own tears slips free.


	6. Chapter 6

Over the next few weeks, Itachi came back to the village to see Kyousuke at least once a week, often coming two or three times. Over time, with each visit, the two grew closer and closer. Itachi filled Kyousuke in on his life since he'd left the village, and Kyousuke filled Itachi in on his own life, as well as the life of old friends and the village in general. Neither of them ever mentioned again that horrible night when their lives were changed forever. Itachi always had a pain deep in his eyes that no amount of laughter and happiness could ever quite erase, and Kyousuke knew that it was what he'd done that night, and what he hadn't done that put that sadness in his eyes. He knew that one day, Itachi was going to have to talk to Sasuke if he ever wanted a chance to heal that pain, but he never brought it up.

It was during one of these visits that everything changed with one unexpected knock on his door. Itachi had just arrived for one of his visits, and Kyousuke wasn't expecting anyone. He'd seen Sasuke earlier in the afternoon, and the younger male had plans with other friends for the evening. All of Kyousuke's other friends were out on their own missions. He expected to have a long, uninterrupted night with Itachi. They'd managed somehow to avoid Itachi being caught in the village, but they both knew that luck wasn't going to hold forever, and they'd already begun to make plans for their meetings to begin taking place outside of the village as frequently as Kyousuke's missions would allow.

"So, you don't have any missions coming up that you know of?"

"Lady Tsunade has allowed me a little time off. Things have been quiet recently, and she's noticed that I've been stressed out." Kyousuke pauses to smile slightly before shaking his head and going on. "She didn't ask any questions, just told me to take some time for myself. I think she assumed it was because the anniversary of my family's death was not so long ago."

Itachi frowns for a moment, then nods his head as he remembers. Reaching out he takes hold of Kyousuke and draws the younger man closer, sliding his arms around him before he replies. "The Kyuubi attack. I'd forgotten about that."

Kyousuke just nods and lays his head on Itachi's shoulder. He didn't want to talk about that time in his life. His memories of that time were extremely vague, and he didn't want even those memories. Sighing, he slides his arms around Itachi's waist and lifts his head to look into the black eyes that had haunted his dreams for so many years. "Yes, but that's not what was bothering me, and we both know that."

Itachi looks down at Kyousuke, his eyes flashing with a deep guilt for a moment before he nods. "Yes, I know that."

Lifting his hands, Itachi cups Kyousuke's face in his hands. Looking into Kyousuke's blue eyes, Itachi nods his head, looking sadly at him. "I know," he whispers again. Rubbing his thumbs back and forth over Kyousuke's cheeks, Itachi leans in pressing his lips gently against Kyousuke's. He let the kiss say what his words never could. He let Kyousuke know just how much he regretted all that he had done, and just how determined he was to never have to hurt him again. One kiss, the tender brush of lips, held all of the promise of the world. Kyousuke's arms tighten around Itachi, a soft sound caught between a sob and a groan of pleasure escaping him as he returns that gentle pressure that was their first kiss.

A sudden, harsh knocking at his door jerks Kyousuke out of his reverie, breaking the kiss. He'd just turned his head to look at the door, shocked when it slams open and Sasuke comes running in. His face was twisted with pain and a terror it was almost painful for Kyousuke to see. It takes him a heartbeat to realize that Sasuke was speaking rapidly as he rushed into the room, but everything was happening so quickly, Kyousuke didn't have a chance to comprehend what Sasuke was saying before everything changed.

Sasuke stumbles to a stop, the room going suddenly quiet and perfectly still. Staring at his friend standing with his arms wrapped around his older brother, Sasuke feels the room begin to spin around him, sliding into unreality. When Itachi's hands drop away from Kyousuke's face, Sasuke snaps back to reality. Reaching into the pouch he always wore at his side, he pulls a kunai from within and holds it up, advancing across the room toward his brother, his eyes glowing red with the activation of his sharingan.

"Get the hell away from him, murderer! You're not taking anyone else from me! I'm not scared little kid now, and this time I _will_ stop you!"

Kyousuke snaps himself out of his reverie and moves to stand between the two brothers, feeling the first acrid tendrils of fear curling through his body, leaving him nearly vibrating with the adrenaline that followed. Holding up one hand he tries to soothe Sasuke as he pushes Itachi back toward the far corner of the room. "Hold on, calm down Sasuke! It's ok, really! I'm not in any danger! Itachi isn't here to hurt me! Trust me Sasuke, please trust me. You remember that trouble I was having a few weeks ago? Remember talking to me about the guy I was in love with? I was talking about your brother. I've been in love with him for most of my life. Itachi would never hurt me. If you can't trust him, please at least trust me."

Sasuke stares dumbfounded at Kyousuke. The arm holding the kunai drops to his side, the blade slipping from suddenly nerveless fingers. Black brows drawing down over equally black eyes, Sasuke stares past Kyousuke at his older brother, then back again at his friend. Taking a step back, he gives his head a slight shake of denial. Feeling as if the world were closing in around him, Sasuke backs up a little faster until he bumps into the door and stops. He opens his mouth to say something, but finds he doesn't know what to say. Shaking his head again, Sasuke turns suddenly and runs from the room, leaving the door open behind him.

Itachi curses sharply and moves to run past Kyousuke, wanting to go catch his brother before he went and told someone that he was here. He wasn't worried for himself. He didn't want to get Kyousuke in trouble for being here. Kyousuke reaches out and grabs Itachi's arm before he can slip past however. Whirling around, Itachi starts to snap at Kyousuke but stops himself and relaxes. The pain he saw in the younger man's eyes hurt his heart, but the guilt and determination he saw there told him more than anything else what Kyousuke was thinking. Nodding, he steps back and sits himself in a nearby chair, letting Kyousuke handle things.

"Wait here for me. I think I know where he's gone. I'll talk to him, calm him down. It's time he knew the truth, Itachi." Kyousuke raises a hand before the older man can speak, giving his head a small shake. "No, I'm not going to tell him, _you_ are. I'm just going to go find him and calm him down. Once I've got him calm and ready to listen, I'll send him back here to you."

Itachi nods, not knowing what to say. Kyousuke smiles weakly at him and moves across the room. Leaning down, he means to get one last kiss before he goes, but it's at that moment that he remembers what Sasuke had been uttering as he'd run into Kyousuke's rooms. Groaning, his heart breaking and his eyes going round with fear, he turns and bolts from the room, Itachi forgotten in his need to get to his friend. Just before the door slams closed behind him, Itachi hears Kyousuke loudly groan, "They think Kakashi is dead! Oh, Sasuke!"


	7. Chapter 7

Kyousuke moves quickly through the village, trying to not let his imagination run away with him. He didn't know what was going on, and thinking of the worst wouldn't help matters any. All he could do was concentrate on catching up with his friend and calming him down enough to get the whole story out of him. Shaking his head, he sighs, trying to squelch frustration. He'd been wanting Itachi to talk to Sasuke, to tell him the truth so he didn't have to keep this secret from his friend any longer, and to help both of the men heal those soul deep wounds they carried around, but the timing couldn't have been worse. He didn't want it to happen in Konoha, because the longer Itachi stayed in the village, the greater his chances of being caught. Blushing faintly, Kyousuke ignores the fact that he'd have rather Sasuke not interrupted that first kiss more than anything else.

Pushing thought aside, Kyousuke runs out onto the practice field. He looks around, peering into all the shadows, looking for Sasuke. Finally, he looks up into the tree where Sasuke had had his own first kiss with the man he loved, and there he sat. Knees drawn up to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs, Sasuke looked more like a little boy than he ever had in the time Kyousuke had known him. Feeling his heart breaking at the sight, Kyousuke moves over to the tree and looks up at Sasuke. He wasn't going to move into the tree until he was sure it was ok with Sasuke. Clearing his throat, he calls out gently to his friend, trying not to startle him.

"Sasuke? Sasuke, can we talk?"

Sasuke jumps slightly at the sound of the voice from below him. He'd been so absorbed in his own misery, and his own thoughts that he hadn't even heard Kyousuke's approach. Lifting his head, he peers down out of the tree, picking out the darker shape in the darkness of the shadows below. Looking around quickly through the shadows, Sasuke determines that his friend had come alone and he relaxes slightly. At that moment he was torn between running from his closest friend, and throwing himself out of the tree and into Kyousuke's arms. He was terrified for Kakashi, and he needed to be soothed, to hear all of those comforting lies. But, he couldn't forget what he'd walked in on. His closest friend kissing his older brother. The man that had butchered their clan, leaving him a terrified mess. It all seemed so unreal to him. Tightening his arms around his legs, he drops his chin to his knees, saying nothing to Kyousuke, but trusting his friend to read his body language and know the invitation had been made. He needed some answers.

Kyousuke jumps up into the tree. He stands looking at his friend for a moment, unsure what to do. He wanted to comfort Sasuke and find out what was going on with Kakashi, but he knew that he couldn't until they at least partially cleared the air about Itachi. Taking a deep breath, Kyousuke settles himself on the branch near Sasuke, letting his legs dangle off the edge. He sits quietly, staring off into the dark trees around them as he thinks carefully about how best to handle this situation. He knew he had to tell the truth like he should have done from the very start, but there was so much of the truth now wrapped up in the story of what happened that night ten years ago that wasn't his story to tell, he had to be careful.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Sasuke. I wanted to, I really did, but I was afraid I'd lose your friendship if you knew I was in love with your brother. I fell in love with your brother when I was quite young, and the years never dimmed those feelings. Even after that horrible night ten years ago, my feelings didn't change. For a long time I lived in denial about what had happened, but once I accepted it, nothing changed. I still loved him more than anything. Part of me died when he left me that last night, and that part of me stayed dead until he walked back into my life a few weeks ago. You remember that night? When you came to help me the way I helped you? I think that was the beginning of the downward slide to my lowest point. It was a few weeks later that Itachi came back again, finding me at my lowest point."

Kyousuke pauses, remembering how bad things had been that night, and how they'd only gotten worse as he heard Itachi's story, the truth hurting more that the reality everyone had been led to believe. Pushing these thoughts aside, Kyousuke glances at Sasuke, and seeing that his friend was listening carefully, he continued his story. "He told me he'd come back to correct the mistake he'd made when he left me all those years ago and a few weeks before when he came by my room to tell me to stop looking for him." Kyousuke pauses and looks down at the ground, not really seeing it. Shaking his head slowly, he resumes his story. "I'd seen him. In the village. I was out running errands one afternoon. I saw you and Kakashi walking along, so happy together and so oblivious of everyone and everything around you. I sank into memory after that. I was remembering the day Itachi came to me to tell me he had to leave Konoha. That was the first time I told him I loved him. That was the night your clan was killed.

"I caught sight of something from the corner of my eye that drew me out of my thoughts. I wasn't sure what I'd seen. Looking around the crowd I didn't see anything, so I delved into memory, and that's when I realized I'd seen Itachi. I was so shocked, for a time I thought maybe I was going crazy, but I didn't let myself dwell on that. Instead, I set out to find Itachi. I knew I'd seen him, I just _knew_ it, and I was going to find him. After about a month, I gave up the search. It was clear that if he had been in the village, he wasn't anymore. Then one night he came to my room. I was so shocked, I couldn't think, didn't know what to do. He explained to me that I had seen him in the village, that he'd been coming back every so often over the years to keep an eye on you. He wanted to know you were ok. He told me that night that I had to stop trying to find him. He was afraid I'd draw attention to him. You know what happened after that. I told you when you came to see me that night.

"He came back after that, to make things right he said. And he explained to me why he had to leave me all those years ago. He told me the whole story about what happened with your clan. The _truth_, not what is commonly known. Sasuke, you've got to give him the chance to explain. Again, if you can't trust him, please trust me. Give him a chance. Just listen. That's all you have to do. Then, if you don't want to change anything, that's your decision and we'll both respect it, but Sasuke, I love your brother, and he loves me. That's not going to change. I hope that won't end our friendship, but if it does, then that's the way it will have to be."

Kyousuke falls silent and gives Sasuke time to think. That was a lot to go over, and he knew it. The younger man was already stressed out anyway, so it had to all be even harder on him. In the end, he knew Sasuke would make the right choice, he was a very intelligent man. Standing up on the branch, Kyousuke stretches himself, twisting and bending to work the kinks out of his body that sitting for so long on that tree branch in one position had caused. When he sits back down, Sasuke is looking at him sadly, but Kyousuke could tell that Sasuke had accepted the story and was going to allow Itachi to tell his story as well. Feeling himself almost sagging with relief, he moved over to his friend and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Now, what's this about Kakashi? I've been worried sick since I realized what you'd said, but I knew you needed to be told the truth before I could try to be your friend, or try to find out anything about what was happening."

"Well, you know his team has been slightly over due on their return for the past couple of weeks. They expected them home by now, but no one really worried because the mission was so far away and was so intricate there was always the possibility that it would run longer than expected. But, tonight word came back to the village that the team Kakashi had gone out with had been found dead." Sasuke pauses, giving himself a few moments to allow the quaver in his voice to fade before he continues. "Kakashi is the only one they couldn't find, but there was so much blood, and the slaughter was so horrific that they don't expect he could have survived the attack. It was even suggested that he might actually be there with the rest of his team, but they just can't tell because... because..."

Kyousuke tightens his arm around his friend and shakes his head. "Stop. Don't think like that. Kakashi is strong. I don't think for a moment that he could be that easily dispatched. He is very likely hurt, but I'm positive he's still alive, and he'll return to you as soon as he can. You've got to be positive Sasuke. You can't allow yourself to give in to despair and negative thinking. Kakashi deserves better than that from you."

Sasuke nods his head, allowing himself only a moment more of self-pity and abject fear. He knew his friend was right. He'd known this all along, but he just needed to hear it to convince his heart and to silence his thoughts. Sitting up straighter, Sasuke squares his shoulders. Pushing aside his fears for his lover, Sasuke turns his attention to something equally as frightening. Chewing at his bottom lip, he allows himself only a few moments of doubt before reminding himself that he trusted Kyousuke with his life. He didn't miss the irony of that fact that at that moment he was doing exactly that. Taking a deep breath he looks over at his older friend.

"He's still at your place? He's waiting for me isn't he?"

"Yeah, he is. I told him to wait there. You both need to talk. Go to him Sasuke, and listen. It'll be hard to hear, but you need to hear it, and he needs to tell it."

Sasuke stares at his friend curiously for a few moments more, then just nods and jumps down from the tree. He stretches briefly, then sets off in the direction of the village. Kyousuke sits in the tree for a few moments longer until he realizes just how long he'd sat talking to his friend. It was nearly time for the sun to rise. Smiling to himself, Kyousuke jumps down from the tree and heads off to his favorite spot on the wall surrounding the village to watch the sun rise. For once he wasn't going there because he was troubled, but just to enjoy the beauty. There was too much ugly in the world right now, and he needed this simple beauty. Chuckling softly, Kyousuke admits to himself that he also needed to have something to do to give his friend and his love the time they needed to talk. Kyousuke thought that after tonight, things could only get better, not knowing just how wrong he was.


	8. Chapter 8

It was late in the morning before Kyousuke returned home. He wanted to be sure he gave the two brothers plenty of time to talk and work out what their relationship would be from this point on. He stands at his door, listening silently for a few moments, and when he hears no talking, opens the door and slips inside. To his surprise he finds that Itachi wasn't still there. Glancing at his bed, he sees his friend curled up asleep, and smiles absently before walking over to his desk. Lifting the note left there, Kyousuke takes it and moves to a chair across the room, sitting in the faint light coming in around the edges of the curtains so that he can read the note left for him.

_Thank you so much for what you've done. My heart feels lighter than it has in years, and I'm relieved to have my little brother back. I'm sorry I wasn't here when you came back, but I have something I need to take care of. I'll be back to see you again as soon as I can. Please take care of Sasuke for me, and try to keep him from worrying too much for Kakashi. Please take care of yourself as well until my return, and know that you will always been in my thoughts._

Kyousuke lowers the note to his lap and turns his head to stare at the curtains that hung over his window, not really seeing them. The note, while expected, was a surprise for Kyousuke. He'd expected Itachi to return again, if not that night, then soon. To know that he wouldn't be back soon, and to not know _when_ he'd be back made Kyousuke feel sad. Turning his head, he looks across the room at his sleeping friend for a moment, then nods to himself. He would just have to concentrate on helping his friend through this hard time and not think about himself for the time being. Sasuke needed support until word finally came one way or the other about Kakashi, and Kyousuke was going to be there with that support.

Standing, Kyousuke moves silently back to his desk and drops the note there. He stands for a moment, looking at the handwriting, smiling at a memory it triggered. When they were younger, Itachi and Kyousuke had spent a great deal of time writing to one another when their missions would not allow them time to meet, and his uncle would tease him telling him he'd not grow into a fine ninja, but into a fine writer if he kept it up. Kyousuke chuckles and pushes the thought aside as he stands and moves over to his bed. Quietly he slips out of his clothes and slides carefully into the bed next to Sasuke. It takes only a few minutes for sleep to claim him, the late night and stress catching up to him at last.

When he wakes early that evening, Kyousuke isn't surprised to find Sasuke gone. Glancing over at his desk, Kyousuke sees only Itachi's note laying there. Sitting up, he stretches and yawns languidly. If Sasuke hadn't left him a note it meant that he still needed more time to think. Kyousuke had expected that, it had taken him a while to come to terms with everything Itachi had told him, and he wasn't even a member of the Uchiha clan. All of that on top of worry about Kakashi had to have Sasuke half out of his mind with stress. Kyousuke didn't know if Sasuke was going to come back, but he figured his friend was going to need someone to talk to before long.

Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Kyousuke stretches again and pushes his hair back out of his face with a quiet sigh. Frowning slightly, he considers his options, eventually deciding that it wouldn't hurt anything if he went to Sasuke today. If he wasn't ready to talk yet, he'd say so, but if he was, then Kyousuke would be there. Pushing up from the bed, Kyousuke shuffles across the room to gather up clean clothes, then slips into the bathroom to clean up and get dressed. Emerging a while later, Kyousuke glances around his room, then makes a face and heads out to get something to eat. He was ravenous now that he was fully awake, and he didn't have the patience for cooking his own meal. He considers inviting Sasuke to go with him for a moment, then quickly decides against it. Sasuke likely wanted to be alone right now, or at least not out in the public eye where they could pity him. Sasuke hated being pitied, and Kyousuke didn't blame him.

Standing outside the place Kakashi and Sasuke shared, Kyousuke frowns, crossing his arms tightly over his chest in a feeble attempt to deny the winter wind access to him. He wasn't sure if he should bother Sasuke, no matter how well intentioned his actions might be. A small part of his mind kept insisting that if Sasuke wanted him, he'd come find him, but a larger part of his mind was sure that Sasuke wasn't going to budge from these rooms until either Kakashi had returned to him, or word had arrived one way or the other about him. Shaking his head, Kyousuke steps up to the door and knocks faintly, knowing there was only one way he was going to know for sure, and that was by talking to Sasuke. When no answer comes, Kyousuke frowns again, absently pushing his hair back out of his face, muttering a curse about not having remembered to tie it back before leaving.

Knocking again, Kyousuke leans in to the door, listening carefully to hear any movement that might come from inside. Hearing nothing and still getting no answer, Kyousuke stands back, frowning still, and now beginning to worry about his friend. He's about to reach out and check to see if the door was locked when he hears his name being called from the next corner. Glancing over, he sees Sasuke walking toward him and relaxes, worry draining out of him and leaving him weak for a moment. He doesn't say anything, only waves an acknowledgment to his friend as he waits for him to walk the remaining distance between them.

"I knew you'd be here at some point today. Sorry I wasn't here when you got here. I needed some time. I needed to think. I went back home and looked around. I haven't been back there since I was a kid, right after I graduated from the academy." Sasuke pauses until they're both inside and the door is closed behind them, shutting out the winter wind and the first flakes of snow that had begun to fall. "I went then because I wanted Mother and Father to know that I had graduated. I knew they'd be proud. This time...this time I went because I needed answers."

"Did you find the answers you needed?"

"No. You know I didn't." Sighing, Sasuke pulls his cloak off and tosses it to a chair, then moves and drops down on the edge of the bed. "The answers I need have to come from me, I know that. But... I'm just so confused. What Itachi told me... it makes sense, but, it's _because_ is makes sense that it scares me. Even as a kid I think I knew something wasn't right. Itachi would never talk to me about it if I brought it up though. I guess he was trying to protect me."

Kyousuke stands silently, watching Sasuke work through his thoughts. After a few moments he moves silently over to the chair at Kakashi's desk, and turning it around, sits and waits for Sasuke to finish gathering his thoughts. Itachi had mentioned once that Sasuke had been a bright kid, which Kyousuke had never doubted, but now he knew why Itachi had said that. No child as young as Sasuke was should have noticed things being hidden within his clan, their worlds just didn't function that way. Even a child destined to be a ninja, and growing up in one of the finest clans of ninjas shouldn't have been able to look at the world around him that objectively. Kyousuke wonders at that moment if Sasuke had ever truly had the chance to be a child, even before the slaughter of his clan.

"Itachi said that he still has some of the things he unburied, the proof, hidden away somewhere in the village. He wouldn't tell me where, but I guess if I really wanted to see it, if I _needed_ to see it, he'd show me." Sasuke pauses, shaking his head. Drawing his legs up onto the bed, he wraps his arms around his knees. "I just don't understand why he didn't take me with him. He did... he went against what he was told to do to save me. But why save me and then leave me alone? Why not do what needed doing, then take me with him when he ran?"

"I don't know the answer to that Sasuke, you'll have to ask Itachi. If I were to make a guess based on what I know about your brother though, I'd guess that he didn't want you to have to live the life of a fugitive with him. Why go to all that trouble to save you, only to ruin your life anyway? And who's to say that this other ninja, the one that actually did all of the killing that night, wouldn't come back for you when it came out that Itachi had managed to sneak you away from the village? By leaving you behind for the Anbu to find, he knew he guaranteed you a chance at life. The Anbu wouldn't kill you, only a select few knew anything about what was going on in the Uchiha clan. No one could kill you after that. Not without it being very suspicious."

"Yeah, you're right, I guess. I just have so many questions now. I barely said anything to him last night. I guess I just couldn't think. It was too much to process at one time. And now he's gone and I can't get the answers I need." Sasuke lifts his head and looks across the room at Kyousuke. "Do you know when he'll be coming back again? When's he coming to see you again, I'd like to talk to him. I need some more answers."

"He didn't tell you?" Kyousuke frowns at this, then shakes it off as unimportant. Itachi had his reasons for everything he did. Sasuke was likely too stressed out after everything he'd been told, so Itachi just left him. "He left me a note, said he'd gone off to take care of something. He said he'd be back as soon as he could manage, but that was it. I don't know when he'll be back. I don't imagine it'll be too long however."


	9. Chapter 9

As days passed into weeks and no word came of Kakashi, Sasuke grew more and more despondent until he reached the point that he just stopped functioning. Content to spend all day curled up in one of Kakashi's shirts in their bed, Sasuke wallowed in self-pity until finally, Kyousuke was forced to push his own worries aside and see to his friend. It was at that point that he started staying with Sasuke day and night. He made sure the younger male at least ate, though he was never sure Sasuke was even aware he was eating, or that Kyousuke was there.

Kyousuke was worried nearly as much as Sasuke about Itachi as he hadn't returned from whatever it was he'd set off to do. The only thing that saved him from sinking into that same dark pit of despair that Sasuke was in was that he didn't have to start with the knowledge that they thought Itachi was dead. At first he worried that Itachi had been caught as he left the village that morning, but he quickly quieted that fear, knowing that if that were the case, word would have gotten out already. Kyousuke comforted himself with this when nothing else would work. He was free somewhere, and would return to him eventually, when his errand was done. When Sasuke reached his lowest point, Kyousuke all but stopped thinking about Itachi, all of his thoughts now with his friend. His own fears began to grow, but he kept them well hidden. The longer no word came of Kakashi, the worse things looked to him. He also feared that Sasuke wouldn't survive Kakashi's death, and the not knowing was only going to keep him holding on a little longer.

When word at last came of Kakashi's return to the village, Kyousuke wasn't surprised that the words couldn't get through Sasuke's haze of despair. He was about to turn and try to get Sasuke to hear when the messenger that had been sent to them continues. "He's back, but he's still badly hurt. Itachi Uchiha was the one that brought him back to the village! Can you believe it? That murderer actually had the nerve to show up back here! I'm glad though, because now he can finally be put to death like he deserves!"

Kyousuke whips back around to face the young genin at the door, feeling his heart beating rapidly, stomach sinking to the floor with a flood of despair. His hand clenches on the edge of the door, making a soft creaking sound as the wood protested his tight grip. His other hand reaches back automatically for his shuriken pouch, but not finding it there, drops to his side. He forces himself to calm down, remembering that this young genin was not his enemy, no matter what he might say. Closing his eyes, he takes several deep breaths until he feels his heart resume a normal pace, and he feels himself calm enough to speak without screaming.

"Itachi Uchiha brought him back to the village? You mean he just walked into the village with Kakashi at his side?"

"No, they said he had to be carried into the village. He's still badly hurt. I heard that Uchiha said Kakashi-sensei was much worse off when he found him or he'd have brought him back sooner. I guess he'd been trying to heal him or something. I don't know, I just know that Kakashi-sensei is in the hospital now, and he asked for Sasuke before he passed out again. If he's regained consciousness since then I don't know because I was sent to bring word to Sasuke."

"And where is Itachi now?"

"They took him off and put him in a cell somewhere under the guard of a whole platoon of Anbu is what I heard. I don't know about that though, it's just the rumour I heard. I was only told about Uchiha bringing Kakashi-sensei back and about his condition so I could come tell Sasuke."

"Ok, thank you..." Kyousuke fights with his rapidly tumbling thoughts, trying to remember the boys name. "Thank you, Keiichiro. I'll be sure Sasuke knows about this."

The boy seemed pleased that Kyousuke knew his name as he slips off into the street and runs off into the newly falling snow. Stunned, Kyousuke closes the door and turns to Sasuke, laying on the bed where he'd been since early that morning after Kyousuke had given up on getting him to eat. Moving across the room quickly, Kyousuke kneels down beside the bed and places a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Leaning close, he speaks directly into the younger male's ear, keeping his voice firm, yet soothing. He wasn't sure how much it was going to take to pull Sasuke back out of his own dark thoughts. Kyousuke didn't know if he could make Sasuke hear him at all. He was afraid it might take Kakashi's voice for that, but Kakashi couldn't come here.

"Sasuke? Sasuke you've got to come back now, you've got to listen. Kakashi is back. He's alive. He needs you Sasuke, but you've got to come back first." Kyousuke pauses, and when his words show no sign of reaching the younger male, he sighs in frustration. He wanted to leave Sasuke there and go to Itachi, but he knew he couldn't. "Sasuke! Damnit, stop feeling sorry for yourself and listen to me! Kakashi is in the hospital! He's hurt bad and he needs you to come back so you can be with him." Pausing again, he sighs and mutters to himself, "I need you to come back so I can go to your brother."

Letting his head drop forward, Kyousuke sighs in frustration, not knowing how he was going to get through to Sasuke. He couldn't just leave his friend laying here like this, especially when he knew that the reason his friend was in this state was laying in a hospital room waiting for him. He wanted badly to go find where Itachi was being kept, though at that moment he didn't know what he could do if he did find him, but he didn't care, he just needed to see Itachi again. Lifting his hands, he rubs at his eyes, trying to clear his mind so he can think, knowing that there had to be something that would draw Sasuke back. When Sasuke speaks unexpectedly, Kyousuke jerks his head upright hard and fast enough that he throws himself off balance and falls back on his butt.

"What? Sasuke? You're back?"

"Kakashi...you said..." Sitting up suddenly, Sasuke looks around the room wild-eyed. "Kakashi's back? Where is he? I need to see him! Is he ok?"

"Woah, woah! Calm down Sasuke. Listen to me, I'll tell you what's going on, but you've got to calm down so you can hear me."

"Yes... yes... Kakashi's back? He's not dead?"

"Yes Sasuke, he's back, and no, he's not dead. I don't know much, but I'll tell you what I do know while you get dressed." Kyousuke watched Sasuke slide out of the bed, hurrying around the room gathering what he needed, surprised that he could even move after spending so long just laying in the bed, barely eating. "Some time this morning, Itachi walked into the village carrying Kakashi in his arms." Kyousuke holds up a hand to stop Sasuke's questions, then continues. "Yes, that's where he went, to find your lover. He'd have been back sooner, but apparently Kakashi was too badly hurt to be moved until recently. Kakashi is still badly hurt, and they have him in the hospital. He did speak once, long enough to ask for you, then he lost consciousness again. They sent a genin to deliver the message and fetch you."

Fully dressed and already draped in his cloak, Sasuke stands looking at Kyousuke, a look of determination on his face. "Ok, I'm ready, let's go."

Kyousuke doesn't say anything further, only pulls on his own cloak and slips out into the cold and snow behind his friend. Hurrying through the village to the hospital, Kyousuke can think of nothing but Itachi, though he was determined to remain at Sasuke's side as long as his friend needed him. He knew there was probably nothing he could do for Itachi right now anyway, he needed some more information first. Once he had Sasuke settled at the hospital with Kakashi, Kyousuke decided he was at least going to try to go see Itachi, and failing that, he was going to start asking some questions, getting the answers he needed. If nothing else, he knew he wasn't going to let Itachi die. Not for a lie, not for anything.

Once they reached the hospital, Sasuke barely stopped walking long enough to ask what room Kakashi was in before hurrying through the halls. Stopping at the closed door, he reaches out and places his hand lightly on the door, but making no move to go in. Figuring he was scared to see his lover hurt, Kyousuke reaches out a hand and places it on Sasuke's shoulder, trying to lend him strength, and remind him that he was there for him. When Sasuke turned back to look at Kyousuke, he's surprised to find that his younger friend was already crying silently. When he opens his mouth to say something to Sasuke, wanting to soothe him, Sasuke shakes his head and smiles wanly.

"I'm ok. I was just remembering... this is the room I was in when I had pneumonia. Kakashi came and sat with me one night, holding my hand and weeping. I thought it was a hallucination or a dream. I didn't know then just how much he did love me. Now, the roles have been reversed. I'll be sitting with him and weeping as he fights for his life."

Shaking his head, Sasuke looks back at the door, then taking a deep breath he squares his shoulders and pushes the door open. He steps silently into the room, Kyousuke right behind him. Kakashi lay in the bed looking for all the world like a badly wrapped mummy. There was very little of his body that wasn't wrapped in clean white bandages, and the parts that weren't covered in bandages were black and blue with deep bruises. Kyousuke hears Sasuke catch his breath on a sob, but notices that his squared shoulders never slump, he was holding strong. Smiling, Kyousuke felt pride in his friend swell in his chest. When Sasuke moves across the room toward Kakashi, Kyousuke starts to follow him, but Sasuke stops and half turns, holding up a hand.

"No, you don't need to stay. I'll be fine now. You go and find Itachi and try to help. Tell him I will be thinking of him, and will come see him as soon as I can, but right now I need to be with Kakashi."

Kyousuke nods, not at all surprised that Sasuke had grasped the fact that Itachi would still be here, and be in trouble with the village. Even his worry for his lover couldn't dim his intelligence. Kyousuke moves back to the door and pulls it silently open. He looks back over his shoulder as he steps out the door, seeing Sasuke sitting carefully on the edge of the bed, reaching out to take one of Kakashi's bandaged hands carefully in his. Just before the door swings silently closed behind him, Kyousuke hears Sasuke murmur, "I'm here now, my love, and I'll not leave your side again."


	10. Chapter 10

Kyousuke wasn't allowed to see Itachi the first time he went, nor the second or third. After a week of being denied access to the older of the last two Uchihas he began to get angry. He tried again and again to get a straight answer, any answer, telling him why he wasn't allowed to see Itachi. The only answers he received were vague at best and more often than not contradictory, however. He tried to keep his anger and frustration away from Sasuke, but when his friend kept asking about his brother, Kyousuke finally had to give in and tell him what he knew, or more accurately, what he _didn't_ know. At first, Sasuke didn't seem very concerned with the news, but as Kakashi continued to get better every day and his stress levels continued to lessen, and Kyousuke failed to bring him any news on his older brother, Kyousuke could tell his friend was growing angry right along with him, though he had no idea just how angry he was.

One afternoon after being denied access to Itachi yet again, and given yet another run-around for an answer, Kyousuke decided he'd had enough and headed for the Hokage's mansion. He was denied an audience with the Hokage, being told she was busy that day, so he returned the next day, and the next. Every day for two weeks he returned, attempting to get an audience with the Hokage, and every day for two weeks he was told she was too busy to see him that day. His attempts to schedule an appointment with her at her earliest convenience was also met with no results. Eventually he was told that it was likely to be weeks before the Hokage could see him, and this was the last straw for Kyousuke.

After bitterly filling in Sasuke and the much recovered Kakashi on his recent failures to even see the Hokage, Kyousuke went home, stoking the fires of his anger into a roaring blaze. He sat up the entire night, working himself into an intense and indignant rage, and with the morning's first light, he'd made a decision that he was not going to be turned away any longer, and he wasn't going to be lied to. Storming out of his room with his headband in hand, Kyousuke hurried through the village, barely noticing how people parted before him as if he were carrying some great disease with him that they didn't wish to catch. When he reached the Hokage's mansion, he looked up at the window where her office was, and seeing a light there, nodded to himself and headed inside.

Paying not attention to the Hokage's assistant, and in fact hardly noticing Shizune as she tried to get his attention and stop his forward momentum, Kyousuke barrels down the hall, head held high and shoulders squared. Not even stopping at the door long enough to knock, he twists the doorknob and throws the door open, getting a spurt of satisfaction as the wood cracks loudly against the wall. Striding into the room, Kyousuke goes straight to Tsunade's desk and stops, glaring across the desk at the older woman. He watches her motion away the Anbu he was sure had followed him into the room, and when the door closes quietly behind them and her attention turns back to him, he slams his headband down on the desk in front of her.

"I'm either going to get some damn answers, or I'm leaving this village. No one will tell me where Itachi is, or even how he is. All I'm told is he's awaiting your decision, but that it's already a given that he's to be put to death. As Hokage, I'm sure you know the truth of what happened to the Uchiha clan. That coupled with the fact that Itachi brought back one of the village's best Jonin when he knew what it would mean for him ought to buy him some leniency. I'm sure you have no desire to let the village know the whole truth of that night and the horrible thing the Third did to save face for the village, but I'm equally sure that you can come up with a story that would still allow you to save face, but that would clear Itachi. If you _wanted_ to." Pausing, Kyousuke leans forward, fists resting on the edge of the desk in front of him before he continues. "But I promise you one thing, if Itachi is put to death for something he didn't do, I'll not only make sure the entire village finds out, I will be sure to lead the group that brings this damn village to it's knees!"

"Are you quite done yet?" Tsunade snaps at the younger male, glaring across the desk at him. When Kyousuke gives no sign that he has anything more to say, she sits back in her chair and pulls open one of the drawers of her desk. "This damn foolishness is contagious apparently." Reaching into the open drawer, the Hokage pulls out two other headbands, one much battered and bloodied and drops them on the desk in front of him.

Taking a step back and frowning, Kyousuke stares at the headbands in surprise. "What is this?"

"Your doing would be my guess! I got much the same foolish speech last night from Sasuke and Kakashi. The fact that Kakashi left the hospital against my orders and the orders of his doctors let me know just how angry he was, without the threats. I can see why Sasuke would react as he did now that Itachi has told him the truth, and Kakashi would do anything to make Sasuke happy, and I'm sure he'd be willing to save Itachi himself because Itachi saved him. But you, I wasn't sure why you were nosing around, then I heard the rumours. How long has he been your lover, Kyousuke?"

Kyousuke takes another fews steps back, shock lighting up his face, making Tsunade nod knowingly. Recovering himself Kyousuke steps back up to the desk and glares across it at the older woman. "He's not my lover, but I've been in love with him since I was quite young. And what's this about Sasuke and Kakashi coming here?"

"They came and offered a speech similar to yours, as I said. I'm guessing they were hearing from you about your inability to get in to see Itachi. What you seem to fail to realize is that there's a really good reason for keeping people away from Itachi. Think with the correct head, Kyousuke! There's a reason you made Jonin so young, you're smart"

Kyousuke just continues to glare across the desk at Tsunade until she finally drops the headbands back into her drawer and sighs, crossing her arms over her ample chest. "People want him dead, Kyousuke. Or did you fail to listen to what you were being told? All anyone is talking about is the time when I order his execution. It's expected. But, there are those that are tired of waiting, or don't want to wait at all. I'm not going to let vigilantism take over my village. I don't want _anyone_ anywhere near Itachi. Only a select few of my most trusted Anbus even know where he's being kept."

Kyousuke feels some of his anger slip away, but he continues to glare across the desk at the older woman. Crossing his own arms over his chest in an imitation of her position, Kyousuke steps back up to the edge of her desk. "Fine, but I want to talk to him. I want to see him."

"No. No one sees him."

Kyousuke narrows his eyes at her, feeling his anger building again. "Why the hell not!?"

"Because I don't want anyone anywhere near him, weren't you listening? If I let you in the see him, there's too great a chance someone else will find out where he is. Until I figure out what the hell I'm going to do, _no one_ gets anywhere near him. Period!"

"That's not enough for me. I need to know he's ok. I need to see him, to talk to him."

"Well, that's not going to happen. You're just going to have to take my word for it that he's ok. I'll tell you what I can do though. You go home and write up a note for him and bring it to Shizune later and I'll be sure he gets it. I'll even have paper and pen taken to him so that he can send you a note back."

Kyousuke narrows his eyes, not satisfied with what he was being offered, but knowing that's all he was going to get. Turning on his heel, he storms from the room. Stopping in the doorway he turns back to glare one last time at the Hokage. "Either you tell the village the truth about what happened that night soon, or _I_ will. I've waited long enough. _Itachi_ has waited long enough."

Tsunade can only sigh when the door slams behind him. Shaking her head, she picks up the headband he'd left on her desk, dropping it into the drawer with the others. Looking down into the drawer for a moment, she frowns then pushes it closed, leaning back in her chair. Sighing, Tsunade reaches back to knead at a kink in the back of her neck, muttering to herself, "If this keeps up, I'm not going to have a single ninja left. I've got to figure out something that's going to satisfy those idiots. Advisors my ass." Shaking her head again Tsunade turns her chair so she can look out the window, trying again to come up with the right answer.


	11. Chapter 11

_They tell me you're still alive and well, but I don't know if I believe them. They won't let me in to see you. They won't even let _Sasuke_ in to see you. It seems __suspicious__ to me. Or maybe I'm just scared, because I am. I'm terrified for you. Why did you do this, Itachi? Why did you come back here __knowing__ what they would do? You could have come to me or Sasuke and we could have brought Kakashi back to the village! You didn't have to let yourself be caught! I've only just got you back, what am I supposed to do if they take you from me again? You won't come back this time, and I can't bear to even think of that._

_I'm doing what I can to make Tsunade listen, but I think my pleas and threats are falling on deaf ears. I have a feeling she's made her decision and what I do or say has absolutely no bearing on the situation. I went to her again and again and was turned away every time, but today I didn't listen to their lies, I just went into her office and confronted her. She's not busy, she's just ignoring me, avoiding me. I gave her back my headband and gave her the choice of doing the right thing, or being the cause of the downfall of the village. Apparently Sasuke and Kakashi gave her the same choice before I arrived. I've not seen Sasuke to ask him about it. She offered to deliver a note to you from me, so I came straight home to write one. I'll go to him after, but I am just so scared that three ninjas aren't enough to make a difference._

_Please don't give up hope, Itachi. If she makes the wrong decision I will come for you. I will find you somehow and I will break you out. We'll leave the village together. We'll go off and start our life somewhere else. We don't need this village. As long as I have you, I could never need anything else. Sasuke would come with is, you know he would, so you wouldn't have to ever return here again. Only, just don't give up on me. I _will_ come for you if she doesn't release you soon._

_I hate writing this, I don't even want to think of it, but you must know. If I can't find you, if I'm not in time. If the worst happens and you're taken from me, know that you will be avenged. Your murder will not go unpunished. But now I must hurry back to the Hokage's mansion. The sooner I get this note to them, the sooner you will be able to hold my words in your hands. Don't give up hope yet, my love, for I haven't. We will be together again soon, I feel it in my heart. I love you, Itachi. Since we were young, and until we are old._

Itachi lowers the letter to the small, battered table before him. Closing his eyes, he listens to the sound of Kyousuke's voice in his head, speaking the words of his note. Glancing up, he watches the Anbu agent standing by the door a few paces away, watching him intently. Itachi smiles to himself, wondering what the man thought he might do that required such close scrutiny. As if with paper, pen and his wits, he would escape. Trying not to laugh at this thought, Itachi pushes Kyousuke's note aside and pulls blank paper in front of himself to write a reply.

~*~*~

_Please don't do anything foolish. Don't even think such threats to the village. I wouldn't want to find you in the position I'm in now. I understand your frustration, and your concern, but getting yourself in trouble would help neither of us. Please tell my foolish little brother the same thing. I will get out of this cell, I have no doubt of that, and when I do I want to be able to come see you both again, and not in a similar cell. All I can ask is that you have faith in the fifth Hokage, she is a wise woman, I'm certain she'll make the best decision. If the worst should happen, please do not blame her or the village. All that the Hokage does is for the best interest of the village as a whole. One ninja can not be held up as more important than the rest of the village, you know that. If I should die, I will wait for you, because one day we will be together again in the next life._

_We had such a short time together, but in that time I grew to love you so much more than I could have ever imagined I would. It is that love that keeps me holding on, and you should know, it is that love that made me do what I did. I can't ask you to sneak around with a wanted man, or forsake the village so that we can be together. I knew that the only thing there was for me to do was to try to clear my name. Going into this, I knew there was a chance it wouldn't work, but I also knew that even the smallest chance was enough if it meant we could be together. I also wanted to try to make things up to Sasuke. So many years I let him hate me, believing the lies and hurting because I was a coward that couldn't bring him the truth of my weakness. Words can only do so much._

_I've known all along that Sasuke and Kakashi loved one another. The first time I saw him walk into Kakashi's room and not come out until the next morning, smiling as if nothing bad had ever happened in his world. I watched from a distance as the both struggled their way through to the end. I wasn't happy about it, I admit it willingly. I thought Kakashi was too old for Sasuke, but then when they moved in together I began to accept it. That afternoon in the village when you first saw me again, I started to form another idea that solidified when I talked to Sasuke about Kakashi. What difference did age make in a relationship founded on love? I am older than you, but still I love you, and you me. Age has no bearing on that, so it shouldn't have any bearing on the love my brother has. And it doesn't._

_When Sasuke told me the whole story of his relationship with Kakashi, and then his worries for the older man, I knew then what I had to do. I knew that I would risk myself to bring Kakashi back to this village for Sasuke. Dead or alive, he was coming home so that Sasuke would no longer have to wonder and worry. I was going to risk it all for Sasuke, and for you. Given the chance, I'd not make a different decision. I did the right thing and have no regrets._

_Kyousuke, if I should die tomorrow, remember that. I have no regrets. What I once regretted, I have been able to make right, because of you. You've made me a whole man again for the first time in more years than I care to remember. Your love completes me. Thank you for everything. No matter what, never doubt that I love you and will always love you, even in death._

Dropping the note into his lap, Kyousuke covers his face with his hands, a sob ripping from his throat. He doesn't even notice when Sasuke reaches out and takes the note, or when Kakashi reaches out and places a comforting hand on his shoulder. Relief made him cry. Fear that it would all end wrong made him cry. Love made him cry. But, as he cried a new determination began to fill his soul until it left no room for any doubt, any fear. In Kyousuke's mind, Itachi was already free, because there would be no other outcome. He'd see this end no other way.

When Sasuke hands the note to Kakashi and turns to look at Kyousuke, his own tears flowing anew, Kyousuke nods and wraps his arms around his friend. He understood Sasuke's pain, his fear, but he also understood that Itachi's words would reach into Sasuke's soul and fill him with that same determination. Neither of them were going to give up because Itachi wasn't going to give up, no matter what he said. The ifs were a matter of practicality, nothing more. Itachi would be freed, and he knew it. Through his note, both Kyousuke and Sasuke came to know it as well.

"We'll have him home soon, Sasuke," Kyousuke said, his words muffled against his friend's shoulder.

Neither of them saw the look Kakashi turned on them briefly. Neither knew that he couldn't hold the same determined hope, because neither of them knew just how much the desire of the village was bound to drive the Hokage in her decision. When they did pull back from their embrace and look at Kakashi once more, he'd schooled his face into a neutral mask that neither noticed. Kakashi was as determined as they were, but for a very different reason. He was determined not to break their hope, and he was determined to be there for them both if his fears came to be.


	12. Chapter 12

Kyousuke let his eyes slowly open about halfway. Rolling onto his side, he looks across the room at his door. He was almost asleep when the knock came, and part of him was still thinking it was the start of a dream. When the knock comes again, Kyousuke rolls to his back with a groan. He hadn't slept much in the past few weeks, and now when he finally managed to calm his mind long enough to allow sleep, someone's come knocking at his door. Sighing, he pushes himself to a sitting position, grumbling as the knocking comes more insistently, rattling his door in the frame. Frowning, he climbs out of his bed and takes a single step toward the door when it suddenly flies open. Stopping, Kyousuke stares in shock as four Anbu move silently into his room, surrounding him at the edge of his bed.

Looking from one ninja to the other, Kyousuke scowls, crossing his arms over his chest. "What the hell do you think you're doing? I was coming, but it's the middle of the damn night, and it was taking me a bit to get woke up enough to come open the door!"

"Kyousuke Rehara, you have to come with us."

"The hell I do! If I want to I'll go with you, but right now I don't think I want to. I think I want you to get the hell out so I can go back to sleep!"

"The Hokage sent us to bring you to her office. You can either comes quietly, or we can take you against your will. Those are the only two choices you have in this situation. Do not think you have the upper hand in this situation. You don't."

Kyousuke glares at the four Anbu agents, feeling his anger building to a seething rage. To be summoned was bad enough. To be summoned in the middle of the night was worse. To be forced to answer the summons against his will was the worst, and as far as Kyousuke was concerned, unforgivable. Kyousuke wasn't stupid enough to think he could take on one of the Anbu, much less four at one time. His rage made him want to lash out at the four masked ninjas, but instead, he kept it inside, letting it seethe. He'd go with them, and loose that rage on the one that truly deserved it. Pushing past two of the Anbu, Kyousuke grabs a pair of pants and slips them on. Glaring at the Anbu once more, he moves over to the door and pulls his shoes on, then steps outside.

The Anbu slip out the door immediately behind Kyousuke, nearly bumping into him as he stood gaping up at the sky. A couple of the other ninja exchange looks, but none of them speak until Kyousuke turns and speaks to them. "Wait a minute... I just laid down, and it was the middle of the night. I'm not crazy damnit! And I know I hadn't laid there long enough to have gone to sleep yet. How the hell is it morning?"

"You haven't slept much in weeks, you were exhausted. Likely you were asleep before you even laid down, but it came so quickly, and we roused you from that sleep so abruptly your mind didn't have a chance to differentiate between when you laid down and when you got up. Your irritation with being roused, and then forced to leave your home when you didn't want to made it easier for your mind to ignore other small clues, such as the level of light coming in around the edges of your windows."

Kyousuke glares up at the ninja that had spoken for a moment, then shakes his head and turns abruptly, heading off down the road in the direction of the Hokage's mansion. He wasn't going to ask how they knew he hadn't been sleeping, he'd already figured that Tsunade would be having him watched, and likely Kakashi and Sasuke as well. She had to be sure they didn't cause the trouble they'd promised her. As long as Itachi remained alive, she didn't have anything to worry about, but Kyousuke could understand her level of caution. Never underestimate a ninja, and being especially familiar with Leaf ninjas and their capabilities, she'd have cause to be even more cautious.

Looking up at the Hokage's mansion just before he steps in the door, Kyousuke thinks he sees someone in the window of Tsunade's office. Feeling his rage beginning to boil to the surface again, Kyousuke hurries his steps until he's nearly running by the time he reaches the Hokage's office door. Without bothering to knock, he throws the door open and charges in, going straight to Tsunade's desk. Slamming a fist down on the desk, he leans over the edge of it, meaning to get in a few words before the Anbu could pull him away. Some things were better said up close, and what Kyousuke wanted to say was one of those things.

"Listen, I don't care who you are, if you want to talk to me, you send a damn messenger and wait for me to answer. I will not be treated like a common criminal, dragged to the Hokage's office by the Anbu Black Ops!"

Tsunade only sits looking up at Kyousuke, amusement in her eyes. Kyousuke feels his rage build nearly to the breaking point. Just as he's about to snap, someone calls his name from somewhere behind him. Kyousuke tries to ignore the voice, but something about it draws his attention and his rage begins to pull back as understanding comes. Jerking upright, the last thing Kyousuke sees before he whips around is the smirk on Tsunade's face. At first, Kyousuke feels a spurt of rage, but it's unable to get a hold in him with the rush of emotion surging through his body. Whipping around, his gaze darts around the room until it finally settles on the figure in one dark corner of the room, well away from the early morning light coming in the windows. Taking a step toward that figure, Kyousuke feels his heart beginning to beat rapidly, his head beginning to swim with something like relief.

"Itachi?"

The figure in the corner takes a step out of the darkness so that Kyousuke can see him, careful to remain far enough back that he can't be seen from the windows. Kyousuke closes his eyes for a minute as the room begins to spin around him. When he's sure he's not going to pass out, Kyousuke opens his eyes again and stares across the room at Itachi. He wants more than anything to run to the older man, to throw his arms around him and never let him go again, but his feet felt as if they'd been rooted to the floor, his legs having been wrapped in stone. Unable to move, Kyousuke can only stare across the room at Itachi in surprise and joy. He doesn't notice the Anbu agents standing to either side of Itachi, keeping a close eye on him.

"Am I asleep? Am I dreaming? If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up."

"It's not a dream Kyousuke. Are you going to stay over there, or are you going to come see me?"

Kyousuke blinks at Itachi's words, confused at first until the amusement in Itachi's eyes seems to finally break the spell that held him in place. Nearly throwing himself across the room, he runs to Itachi, all but tackling the older man as he throws his arms around him. Clinging to him, the world goes away and Kyousuke can think of nothing but Itachi. After several minutes he manages to lift his head to look into Itachi's face, pure love lighting his own features. When that love is reflected in Itachi's features, Kyousuke feels something inside of him click into place. His world was complete. Smiling, he pushes up slightly to breach those couple of inches difference in their height to press his lips to Itachi's.


	13. Chapter 13

Sasuke came slamming into the room, shouting, his words coming out so rapidly they stumbled over each other. Everyone in the room stared at him in various forms and degrees of surprise. Everyone except Kyousuke and Itachi. To them nothing existed but the other. The kiss ended, but still they stood arms wrapped around one another, eyes locked together. Neither speaks, and neither feels the need for words at that moment. For the first time in his life, Kyousuke understood what love could truly be, and what it was that made Sasuke and Kakashi walk around in their own little world, nothing existing outside the presence of one another. As if this thought were a pin that burst the bubble of that happiness that surrounded them, reality crashed back in and Kyousuke jerked at the shouting coming from behind him.

"Sasuke, calm down. If you don't I'm not going to be able to understand a word you're saying. And put that damn kunai away, you and I both know you're not going to use it." Tsunade pauses and looks over Sasuke's shoulder as Kakashi limps into the room. "And just what do you think you're doing here? I told you to stay in that bed after your last little escapade! You're never going to finish healing if you keep running from the hospital."

Growling, Sasuke advances on Tsunade's desk, either not noticing or just ignoring the Anbu agents in the room. "I won't calm down, and I won't put my kunai away until I get some damn answers! Where the hell is Kyousuke, and where do you get off sending the Anbu to arrest him! You know damn well he hasn't done a damn thing wrong. He and I have both been very well behaved under the conditions. So where is he? You lock him up in the same secret place you've locked up my brother? Do you enjoy locking up innocent men?"

Kyousuke turns to face Sasuke without moving away from Itachi so that the older man's arms could remain wrapped around him. Blinking in shock at Sasuke's tirade, Kyousuke leans back against Itachi, lifting his hands to rest lightly on Itachi's where they were clasped over his stomach. He gives Itachi a quick glance before jumping into the fray before it got out of hand, seeing Tsunade's anger rising quickly. "Sasuke, she's right, you need to calm down. I haven't been arrested, I was brought here by the Anbu at Tsunade's request. As for why they were sent rather than a regular messenger, I can't say. You'd have to ask her."

Leaning over Kyousuke's shoulder, Itachi adds quietly as his brother turns to face them, "And I'm not exactly innocent, Sasuke. You know that."

Sasuke turns, blinking and staring in shock. He'd come in so hastily and so angry that he hadn't even noticed his brother and friend standing in the corner of the room. He frowned at the Anbu that flanked to two, but said nothing about it. He flicks his gaze back and forth between one and the other, eventually lowering it to look where Itachi's arms were wrapped around Kyousuke's waist, Kyousuke's hands resting on Itachi's. Smiling in spite of himself and feeling his anger beginning to fade under this obvious sign of affection, Sasuke turns back to the Hokage's desk, glaring at the older woman before the last of his rage has a chance to fade away. He feels Kakashi slip up behind him, resting his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and the last of his anger fades into nothingness, leaving him relieved and a bit tired.

Tsunade nods and leans forward, bracing her hands on the top of her desk, looking at each ninja before she speaks. "You two, if you're quite done making out in my office, can step out of that corner and come to my desk so we can talk. And as for you two, Kakashi you need to get back to the hospital, and Sasuke since you're already here, I guess you may as well stay. It'll save Kyousuke the trouble of telling you later what I say."

Complying, the two in the corner walk over to the Hokage's desk, Kyousuke blushing in spite of himself, and Itachi grinning. The Anbu agents follow close behind the pair, standing just behind them, ready should any trouble arise. The only one that notices their movement is Kakashi. He watches them move silently across the room right behind Sasuke's friend and older brother, but doesn't comment. Looking back at Tsunade, he frowns and steps closer to Sasuke's back, mimicking the position he'd first seen Kyousuke and Itachi, and had readopted in front of Tsunade's desk. Sasuke leaned back against Kakashi's chest without thought, automatically moving himself into a position that wouldn't hurt his older lover, then resumes glaring at Tsunade, waiting for the explanation to start.

Tsunade sighs in annoyance, but doesn't bother arguing with Kakashi. Leaning back in her chair, she crosses her arms over her chest and turns her attention to Kyousuke and Itachi. "I sent the Anbu for you because I knew you'd likely ignore a messenger. A messenger had no chance of getting you here by words alone, so I sent someone that could force you if need be. I didn't want word getting out that I sent for you because I wished to talk to you and Itachi both, and that's the only thing the messenger could have said that would have budged you. If you'd even bothered to answer the door."

Kyousuke relaxes, seeming a bit embarrassed again, because he knew she was right. He hadn't answered the door when the Anbu came, and likely wouldn't have either. Had they not forced the issue, Kyousuke would never have known that Itachi was waiting for him. Trying to change the subject before he started blushing again, Kyousuke pulls on his best glare, ignoring the amusement in Tsunade's eyes. "Yeah, so what did you want me for? You still haven't told me that."

Tsunade nods, but remains silent for a few moments, letting her gaze settle briefly on each of the four in front of her desk. Finally, taking a deep breath, she leans forward and rests her hands on the desk in front of her, locking her gaze on Itachi's. "I think I've come up with a way to put an end to your imprisonment that will make the entire village happy, and that will make all in this room happy as well."

Itachi lifts his eyebrows, but doesn't speak. Kyousuke leans forward, his hands clenching around Itachi's where they rested, clasped in front of his stomach once again. "You mean, you've found a way to let him free without the entire village coming after him and you? You're not going to kill him?"

"Of course I'm not going to kill him!" Tsunade leans back, frowning at Kyousuke until the younger ninja leaned back against his love once more, then continues. "I never had any intention of having him put to death if I could avoid it. I'm going to be honest though, there's always a chance that this won't work, and if it doesn't, one or both of you might die, and there's nothing I can do to stop it."


	14. Chapter 14

Kyousuke stood nervously in the crowd that stood before the Hokage's mansion. He could feel the tension of the villagers, and he could hear the buzz of voices as they all discussed what they thought the Hokage had called them their for. Most knew the announcement had to do with Itachi, and those were the ones doing the most talking. It seemed the consensus that he was to be put to death today, and there were a wide mix of feelings about this. Kyousuke did his best to tune them all out, they weren't helping his tension. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to take several deep, calming breathes. He was on the verge of panic, and he knew that if he didn't get himself under control now, he'd snap before Tsunade had even had a chance to finish her first sentence.

When a hush fell over the crowd, Kyousuke opened his eyes and looked up. Tsunade stood silently gazing over the crowd from atop the Hokage's mansion, behind her stood Itachi, flanked by two of the Anbu Black Ops. Kyousuke was sure that there were several others standing back out of sight, and dispersed about the village in case things went ugly. Kyousuke was afraid that that was just what was going to happen, but he was doing everything he could to hold that fear in check. Faint movement from behind Itachi draw his attention, allowing him to forget that fear at least momentarily. Sasuke stepped out from behind Itachi, moving the stand beside and slightly in front of his older brother. He was staring out at the crowd below challengingly. Kyousuke couldn't help but smile at this. Now that Sasuke had his older brother back, and now that he knew the truth, he was willing to give up anything and everything to keep him. He was no longer alone in the world, the last of the mighty Uchiha clan, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Feeling eyes on himself, Kyousuke turns his gaze back to Itachi. Locking his eyes on Itachi's, Kyousuke could feel the intensity of his gaze even over the distance. Shivering in reaction, he breaks his gaze away and stares at the ground a moment. Taking a deep breath, he lifts his head and looks up at Itachi once more, determined to remain strong for him. He holds Itachi's gaze this time until he sees the softening of the intensity. No one else would notice the looks that passed between them, because no one around knew the two men as well as they knew each other. Feeling himself relax for the first time since he'd last seen Itachi in Tsunade's office. Kyousuke moves back into the crowd slightly, trying not to draw attention to himself, but no one even noticed him as all eyes were riveted on the people that stood atop the Hokage's mansion. The crowd had gone breathlessly silent, the air of anticipation growing almost palpable and making Kyousuke nervous again in spite of his desire to remain calm.

Kyousuke watches as Tsunade moves forward, drawing everyone's attention. A ripple of excitement seems to run through the crowd, and Kyousuke feels his heart jump up into his throat. Doubts that he'd fought so hard to suppress surfaced under that wave of excitement. Closing his eyes, Kyousuke clenches his hands into fists, fighting that first irrational edge of panic. Feeling the warm weight of a hand settling on his shoulder, Kyousuke looks behind himself. Kakashi stood there, looking up with everyone else and exuding an aura of extreme confidence. Kyousuke stands looking up at the older man and feels himself calm once again. They had plans in place. Should Tsunade's idea fail, Itachi would still be safe, they would all see to that.

"I'm sure every one of you gathered here today know why it is I've called you here." Tsunade pauses and glances around the crowd below her for a moment, almost as if she had to steady her own nerves before she could continue. "Itachi Uchiha returned to Konoha a little over a month ago with the missing Jonin Kakashi Hatake. Knowing the risk he was taking, he chose to find Kakashi and nurse him to enough health that he could survive the long trip back here to the village. His reasons for doing this are his own, but I was made aware of them. I will not share those reasons with you as they have no bearing on this situation now."

Tsunade paused longer this time to let her words sink in, and to allow the rush of murmuring to subside. Kyousuke felt himself wanting to fidget nervously, but, as if he'd read him, Kakashi tightened his hand on Kyousuke's shoulder and leaned close to whisper, "Don't start jumping at shadows."

Kyousuke just nods, his attention turning back to Tsunade as she resumed her speech. "Itachi was taken by the Anbu Black Ops the moment he stepped back into the village, and was kept somewhere secure until it could be decided what was to be done with him for the crimes he committed."

Tsunade is forced to pause again as an angry murmur breaks out in the crowd. Kyousuke had to fight not to scowl at the people closest to him. When his gaze strayed over Sasuke's scowling face, he had to fight not to grin. Sasuke was angry and indignant enough for all of them. Glancing back at Kakashi, Kyousuke can't help but smile at the mix of amusement, pride and love in the older man's eyes. He understood that look completely now.

"Not having been the Hokage when the crimes took place, and not being able to discuss the crimes with the man who was, I had to trust in the reports made by the Anbu at the time, as well as talking to those same men and women in case the intervening years had brought back something they'd forgotten in their original reports. I talked to other ranking ninjas, anyone that might know anything about that awful night. When I had it all, I talked to Itachi himself.

"He told me the entire story of what really happened that night. Armed with that information, I talked to Sasuke Uchiha, the lone survivor of that massacre, learning of the truth of Itachi's story. From there I delved deeper in the records and reports. What I found shocked me, and briefly disheartened me."

Again, Tsunade paused. This was the point that made them all the most nervous. The rest of Tsunade's story was mostly true, but was also laced with many half truths. If anyone were to challenge even one of these half truths, the whole story would collapse, and there would be no convincing the village of the parts that were true. They'd weaved the half truths so deftly with the truths, they didn't think anyone would be able to question the story, but any chance at all made them very nervous. All of them. Kyousuke glanced back at Kakashi once more, seeing his nervousness mirrored in the older man's eyes, and he was able to take comfort from their mutual nervousness.

"Over the years since Konoha was first founded, the Uchiha clan grew stronger and stronger. And as too often happens, they grew corrupt. Not the entire clan of course, but enough of them to make them dangerous to the village." Tsunade raised a hand to quiet the excited, nervous murmuring of the crowd so she could continue. "The corruption was noticed and watched carefully lest it grow out of hand and threaten the village. Unfortunately the faction that was built to police the Uchiha clan also went corrupt." The surprised gasps from the crowd barely made Tsunade pause.

"The corruption of the Uchiha clan was brought to the attention of the Third Hokage and his advisers. It was hinted at and eventually pushed that the corruption was growing rapidly out of hand and that it was time for the Uchiha clan to be stopped. Itachi was brought before the Hokage and told of the corruption and the decision that had been made. He decided to abide by whatever course was decided on to take care of this problem.

"The corrupted factions were to be arrested quietly and taken care of out of the public eye so as not to bring shame on the entire clan. Itachi snuck two Anbu agents from the faction that had been created to watch the Uchiha clan into their compound. Once there however, those Anbu agents began to slaughter the entire clan. There was nothing Itachi could do to stop the slaughter. He was able to save only his younger brother in the end when Sasuke arrived home later than usual from the academy and his own practice after his classes. The men that slaughtered the clan ran and left Itachi to take the blame.

"When Sasuke arrived home, he found only blood and his brother standing over the bodies of their parents. Itachi used the power of the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai to show his brother a lie of what happened, taking all of the blame squarely on this own shoulders to protect his younger brother. If Sasuke didn't know the truth, he couldn't seek revenge against those that had killed his clan, and therefor remain safe in his ignorance."

The crowd erupted into excited chatter, too many people talking at once for Kyousuke to pick out any one person to listen to. He couldn't get a read on the crowd. He couldn't decide if they'd believed the story or not. Kyousuke could only stand, looking around at the people closest to him, waiting to see how it all played out. When at last the crowd grew silent once more, Kyousuke felt as if he would snap under the tension that gripped his body. Through the hand on his shoulder, Kyousuke could feel Kakashi's tension as well. He didn't glance back at him though, instead he moves his gaze back to Itachi's impassive face.

"What happened to the ones that murdered the Uchiha's?" cried a random voice from deep within the crowd.

They had expected and hoped for this question. It meant their story was being accepted. "Itachi hunted them down when he left the village and killed them."

"Why didn't he just go to the Hokage and tell him the truth about what happened?"

"Because he not only feared for his own life, but also for that of his younger brother. He was trying to keep Sasuke safe."

"What about the rest of the Anbu that was in on it?" called another voice.

"Those that are sill alive have been detained and are awaiting my decision as for their punishment."

Tsunade remained quiet, waiting for any further questions or comments. As time passed and no one spoke up, Kyousuke felt himself finally begin to relax completely. He allowed himself to feel hope for the first time. Looking at Itachi again, he smiled triumphantly. The return smile was only in Itachi's eyes, and was for Kyousuke only. They didn't want to turn the village against him when they were so close to success. Over confidence from Itachi, even if only perceived by one person would turn the entire village against him in moments, they still had to be very carefully until it was all said and done.

Taking a deep breath, Tsunade addressed the village for the last time. "It was been decided that not only is Itachi Uchiha innocent, he has been grievously wronged by this entire village. From this moment forward he is exonerated of all charges, and is free to resume his life as a member and ninja of this village."

The answering cheer that roared up from the crowd nearly made Kyousuke faint. At last Itachi smiled and looked directly at Kyousuke. Not needing the hear Itachi, Kyousuke answered this silent call. He was so excited he could barely concentrate the chakra in the bottom of his feet to run up the wall of the Hokage's mansion. When he arrived, Itachi was hugging his younger brother. When he stepped back and turned to Kyousuke, Itachi was crying silently, but still smiling. Kyousuke threw himself into Itachi's arms, clinging to him. Neither of them heard the cheer laced with whistles and good natured catcalls their embrace brought up from the crowd.

Smiling, Tsunade give the pair one last look before turning and heading back to her office in the mansion. The Anbu agents followed behind and the crowd slowly dispersed, returning to their own lives. Kakashi arrived on the roof several minutes later, his injuries dictating that he had to come up the stairs, and slowly, but Sasuke was waiting for him when he arrived. They both stood arm in arm, looking at the new couple, both remembering when their love was that new. Giving Sasuke a small tug, Kakashi motions over his shoulder to the open door behind them, then smiles at the couple that were still embracing and weeping quietly together. Sasuke smiles and nods, then turns with his own lover to leave his brother and his best friend in privacy.


	15. Chapter 15

A month passed in the blink of an eye. Blissfully happy for the first time in his life, Kyousuke moved through the days in a daze of happiness. When it finally got to the point that Tsunade grumbled at him something about being killed on a mission, Kyousuke forced himself out of that daze. Itachi had moved in with Kyousuke the night he was exonerated, so Kyousuke always had him close to hand when he was home, so he didn't need to spend his days with his head in the clouds when his nights were spent in heaven.

Itachi was slow to adjust back to life in Konoha, and life as a ninja. Sasuke, Kakashi and Kyousuke were all there to help ease him through the transition. Too soon for Kyousuke the time came that Itachi was going out on his first mission as a newly reinstated Konoha ninja. Try as me might, Kyousuke couldn't get the image of the way Kakashi looked when he'd returned from his last mission just over two months before. Knowledge that his wounds were already much healed by the time Itachi had gotten him back to the village didn't help. A small part of Kyousuke mind insisted that this was what he had to look forward to when and if Itachi returned. Kyousuke tried to squelch these fears, but the closer it came to the time for Itachi's departure, the bigger those fears grew.

Standing on the wall that surrounded the village and watching the sun slowly rise before him, Kyousuke wrapped his arms around himself, not because of the cold, but because he was terrified he was about to lose Itachi. He had only one more day with him before he was scheduled to head out. The fact that is was a minor escort mission, barely A-rank didn't help calm Kyousuke's nerves, he wanted to give in to those fears and beg Itachi to not leave him. He knew he couldn't do it, but each time he looked at the older man, the desire nearly overwhelmed him.

He hadn't spoken to Itachi about it, but he had a feeling Sasuke had figured it out. Sasuke would understand that fear better than anyone else, because Sasuke harbored the same fear for Kakashi, though for a much better reason. Sasuke had nearly lost Kakashi, Kyousuke was only afraid that he might. He wanted to talk to his friend about it, but he couldn't bring himself to admit to the fear. Not out loud, not even to his best friend. He was ashamed of the fear. A ninja shouldn't be afraid of anything. Ninjas didn't fear death, but ever since Itachi had walked back into his life, Kyousuke did.

Hearing a soft scuffing noise behind him, Kyousuke pulls himself from his thoughts and glances back over his shoulder just in time to see Itachi climb up onto the wall behind him. Instantly a smile spreads across his face and love warms him from the chest outward. Half turning, he looks at the older man standing there looking disheveled from sleep, hair loose and barely stirring in the faintest of breezes. Kyousuke's heart ached at the sight of Itachi, but at the moment, he knew he could let his lover go, trusting in him to always return to the village. Smiling again, he turns back to the sunrise and sighs quietly.

Itachi steps up behind Kyousuke and pulls his cloak open, slowly wrapping both his arms, and his cloak around the younger male. Kyousuke leaned back against Itachi's chest, dropping his arms to his sides, then reaching back to lightly grasp his hips as if holding him there. Itachi rested his chin on Kyousuke's shoulder, rubbing his cheek against the abundance of long auburn hair as he watched the sun slowly creep up over the horizon in brilliant gold and rose. When the sun had nearly cleared the horizon completely, he lifts his head from Kyousuke's shoulder and turns his head just slightly to look at him.

"What's bothering you, Kyousuke?"

"Nothing now. How did you know where to find me?"

Itachi smiles and tilts his head to the side, trying to see if Kyousuke was teasing him or not. Slowly the smile spreads into a grin and he turns his gaze back to the rising sun as he replies. "I was the one that showed you this spot. This was always my favorite place to go. When I woke up and you were gone, I knew that there must have been something bothering you. You were so quiet last night, but I thought you were just tired. When you were gone from the bed, I knew it wasn't that you were tired. I knew I'd find you here because I remembered just how much you loved it here. Just as much as I always did."

Kyousuke blinks in surprise, looking up slightly into Itachi's face as he listens. Slowly, memory slips into his mind and he smiles and nods. "I remember now. I'd forgotten that it was you that showed me this place. After you left, I started coming here regularly. It helped me to remember you. Eventually it became about the comfort I got from being in a place that had been so dear to you. As the years passed, it was just the one place I could go when I was upset that calmed me, helped me to think more clearly. I can't tell you how many problems I've solved over the years standing right here watching the sun rise."

Itachi nods then rests his chin on Kyousuke's shoulder again, resuming the soft rubbing of his cheek against the soft waves of Kyousuke's hair. Both watched until the sun was well above the horizon, quiet and content to just be close to one another. Tightening his arms around Kyousuke's waist briefly, Itachi stands back up and shifts his hands down to the younger man's hips, turning him slowly so they faced once another. Taking hold of the edges of his cloak, he pulls it back around Kyousuke, holding it in place with his arms wrapped around Kyousuke's waist. When he feels Kyousuke's arms slide around his own waist, Itachi smiles and leans down, brush a tender kiss over his lips before lifting his head to smile down at him.

"I forgot to tell you, I was talking to Sasuke last night and he told me a story that made me laugh."

Kyousuke tilts his head to the side as he looked up at Itachi through the tumble of bangs that had fallen into his eyes. "Are you going to tell me, or should I guess?"

Itachi grinned at the gentle teasing and tightened his arms as he spoke. "He told me about the morning after he and Kakashi finally found one another. He said he came out here to find you, to apologize for something he'd said or done. He didn't say what it was and I didn't ask. That's between the two of you. But he said as the two of you stood up here talking, that you teased him, telling him that his relationship came about because of hero worship."

Kyousuke grins as he listens to Itachi and nods his head slowly, remembering. "Yeah, I remember that. He was in love with Kakashi before he even knew it was Kakashi he was in love with. It started with him loving the man that he thought saved his life that night and progressed from there."

Itachi nods and grins a little wider at Kyousuke, pulling him as close to his chest as he can. "Well, I was thinking after he told me that story, and I remembered the start of our own friendship. Our relationship started with a little hero worship too, you know."

Kyousuke laughs and nods his head slowly, then pulls on a solemn look, eyes sparkling with laughter as he replies, "Yes, you're right of course. Our relationship started with hero worship, and it will end with hero worship when we both die, very old men years from now. I worshiped you then, and I worship you now. More than that, I love you Itachi Uchiha, and I always will."

Itachi smiles at Kyousuke, then bends his head down for another kiss. Just before their lips meet he whispers to him, "And I love you Kyousuke Rehara, for all time."

* * *

**AN: **And so ends the second Hero Worship story. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. My next story to be posted is something completely different. SasukexSakura But, for those that have enjoyed this version of the life of certain ninjas of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, hold on to your hope. A new story is already forming in my mind. I've a feeling that Hero Worship is going to become a regular fanfic series for me.

Oh, and for those that need to know, the new story that's forming is back to KakashixSasuke as the main couple, but it will also contain much ItachixKyousuke.

Once again, I hope you've enjoyed my story, and thank you for reading it. And a special thank you for those who reviewed and gave me hope that I really am a pretty good fanfic writer, and that someone out there really does enjoy reading my work. :)

For those that would like a sneak peek at what's coming up in the next HW story, I've posted a teaser on my DeviantArt account. Go here: http:// sammiwolf .deviantart .com/art/HW3-Teaser-Sneak-Preview-105742092 (Cut and paste and take the spaces out.)


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